At Alkira, building hospitality skills is about creating meaningful, real-world opportunities for participants to learn, grow and build confidence at their own pace. One way this happens is through the progression from the AlkiraBiz Coffee Cart to the AlkiraBiz Café. A connection of two environments that offer different experiences and skill development.
The Coffee Cart is often where participants begin developing foundational skills. Here, the focus is on preparing hot drinks, serving simple menu items like cookies, and building confidence in customer interaction. The smaller, more structured setup allows participants to practise routines such as drink preparation, handling payments and engaging with customers in a supportive environment.
As participants’ skills and confidence grow, some may have opportunities to further develop these abilities within the AlkiraBiz Café. The Café offers an expanded experience, with a larger menu and more complex operations. Participants may be involved in serving a range of food items, from fresh ciabattas and flatbreads to pies and sausage rolls, as well as coffees, smoothies and other drinks. The environment also introduces new responsibilities, such as stock management, detailed cleaning processes, and using a full POS system. Customer service evolves too, with opportunities for table service and more varied interactions with customers.
Recent program changes have strengthened this pathway. Networks Monday’s Coffee Program has now transitioned into the AlkiraBiz Café, giving participants more opportunities to build capacity and confidence in a larger hospitality setting.
As one support worker, Yvette, shared after working with participant Rocky: “Rocky showed amazing professionalism… from setting up the coffee van to delivering outstanding customer service. I strongly believe the training he has had at the Coffee Cart has given him the skills to progress to the café.”
Stories like Rocky’s highlight how supported learning environments can build confidence and readiness for work‑related settings.