Tucked in the corner of the West Shore Child, Youth and Family Centre on Wale Road is a cozy little cafe.

Not only is Skookum Food and Coffee a good place of respite for workers and clients visiting the building, itB次元官网网址檚 providing a place for area teens to gain their first taste, in many cases, of the working world.

The cafe is the business end of the free 12-week Skookum Skills program run by Pacific Centre Family Services Association.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 fun and well-organized. ItB次元官网网址檚 a good experience,B次元官网网址� said Dakota Webb, 19 and a graduate of Belmont secondary who was on his last shift at the cafe.

HeB次元官网网址檚 learned barista skills, how to use a knife properly and knows what giving good customer service looks like. Along with his FoodSafe and first aid cards, heB次元官网网址檚 got some marketable skills, but isnB次元官网网址檛 quite sure what direction his training will take him next.

Not so for Becky Lee, an 18-year-old Gordon Head resident who was recently hired on to be a barista at the Uptown Starbucks.

Brittany Arnold, a soft-spoken 17 year old entering Grade 12 this fall at Belmont, enjoyed the program and all it taught her. B次元官网网址淚 really like working up front as a barista. I learned a lot about customer service,B次元官网网址� she said.

Arnold recommends the skills program to any teens looking to expand their skills and get out into the world. B次元官网网址淭hey should definitely try it. Lots of people are shy when they come in, but you get a confidence boost from learning to do all the jobs.B次元官网网址�

Mitzi Dean, the associationB次元官网网址檚 executive director, is excited about seeing the cafe and the young people involved in its training program program take the operation to the next level.

A visit to other food-based social enterprises in Vancouver earlier this year allowed some ideas to start to percolate for the cafe in Colwood.

B次元官网网址淲e really want to promote our signature quality and the fact we use local produce,B次元官网网址� she said.

As part of a broader-based thinking for the program, cafe co-ordinator Liz Overton oversaw staff in catering the associationB次元官网网址檚 annual general meeting this year. As well, the group has been setting up shop at the Goldstream Station market on recent Saturdays in VeteranB次元官网网址檚 Memorial Park.

Dean said the association is working to build partnerships in the community for the program. So far that effort is going well.

As part of the program, staff from 2% Jazz Coffee provided barista training for the youth, while Vancity staffers presented a full day of general business training. Other partners offered up literacy training to help youth with learning challenges get up to speed.

On the funding side, the association received a grant from the Victoria Foundation worth between $15,000 and $20,000 on top of the more than $40,000 that Dean said it has invested in the program itself.

Overton, overseeing the second group of youth since the program began last fall, works closely with them in the kitchen and out front. SheB次元官网网址檚 proud of her charges for the changes and growth sheB次元官网网址檚 seen in them over the course of their work term.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e seen a lot of them blossom and gain confidence,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淭hey all are quite outgoing now and this building contributes that. TheyB次元官网网址檝e created a real team attitude and they get so much reinforcement that something is working.B次元官网网址�

While Skookum is not necessarily an employment-finding program, it providing youth B次元官网网址� some of whom come in with barriers to moving forward in the working world or education B次元官网网址� with an opportunity to build their repertoire and move forward with more confidence.

Dean hears from parents of youth who have completed the program that they see more self-confidence and self-esteem in their children. That is one of its primary goals, she said. B次元官网网址淲e give them new opportunities and new experiences to build on.B次元官网网址�

How to apply for Skookum Skills

If youB次元官网网址檙e a youth or know someone who is looking to gain some pre-employment skills or boost your self-confidence in a supportive environment, the Skookum Skills program is accepting applications for upcoming 12-week terms. Between six and eight people are accepted at a time. To apply, send your name and contact information to loverton@pcfsa.org, call 250-478-8357 or stop by the association office at 345 Wale Rd.

editor@goldstreamgazette.com