Youth Training

The primary focus of Coffee with a Cause is job skill training for transitional age youth (TAY) who have experienced foster care, homelessness and justice system-involvement. We offer an internship program for youth age 16-24, in which they receive soft skill training from Coffee with a Cause staff, followed by hard skill training and hands-on experience in a trade with a local business. Our aim is that each youth completes the program with measurable improvement in soft and hard job skills, resume-ready experience and references, and support in seeking permanent employment.

Soft Skill Training

Every quarter, we install a new cohort of interns who receive soft skill training prior to placement in their internship. Our goal is to equip them with fundamental workplace skills that will set them apart as they begin their career journeys. During this time, we focus on the topics of:

Internships

During soft skill training, interns are matched with a local business partner. We collaborate with each intern to place them in a business and position that best fits their interests and long-term career goals. These range from coffee, to retail, to landscaping and more.

Throughout their internship, each intern is equipped with hard skill training and hands-on experience. Coffee with a Cause staff continue to be a support to each intern during this time, checking in regularly with all interns and being available to navigate any questions or concerns. The goal for each intern is to secure stable, long-term employment after the program.

Rosebud Training Program

Some of our interns are interested in exploring the craft of coffee, which is what started the whole journey of Coffee with a Cause. Interns placed at Rosebud for their internships undergo a coffee training curriculum. They explore the world of coffee from seed to cup, learning where coffee comes from, various brewing methods, and crafting specialty drinks.

Rosebud interns receive hands-on experience with taking customer orders, shop maintenance, and, over time, preparing quality coffee and espresso drinks. At Rosebud, crafting coffee is our passion. We are excited to share this passion with local youth over several months of coffee training.  It’s our hope that this training will provide youth with the necessary barista skills for employment at a local coffee shop and ignite the same passion for coffee that drives us.

Mentorship

After three months of internship, youth are encouraged to shift their focus to job searching. The goal of our program is for our youth participants to successfully obtain and maintain meaningful employment as part of their path to independence. Youth are paired with a volunteer mentor for one year to support them in job searching and job retention.

Mentors can also offer support to youth with finding resources for basic life skills like budgeting, transportation, and more as needed and able. These mentors are passionate volunteers from the community who are screened, trained and supported by our program staff.