Tamworth skate park youth cafe: Joblink Plus awarded tender for Viaduct Park training cafe

Tamworth Regional Council awarded the employment agency the tender for the training cafe at Viaduct Park this week.

The cafe will be the opportunity for young people to gain hands-on experience, JobLink Plus youth programs leader Amanda Hazell said.

"Young people using the skate park will be able to connect with and support their mates as they transition into meaningful and sustainable employment," she said.

"This is a great opportunity for local employers to give young people a go too - they'll be supported in their hospitality training as well as other work skills giving them the confidence to take the next step."

A development application for the cafe is expected to be submitted this month, with construction to start by June.

As a social enterprise, the café will reinvest 100% of surplus into more programs for young people.

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JobLink Plus Training hospitality assessor Shaun Abra said he is committed to coaching young people to explore options in the industry.

"I still get a buzz out of working with and training young people after more than 30 years in professional kitchens," he said.

"Young people have so much to offer, and we want to share what we can to launch them into exciting and fulfilling roles."

The cafe will provide accredited training in customer service, food handling, preparation and cooking, stock rotation, point of sale and small business skills.

The submission made by JobLink Plus indicated they would be best suited to meet the requirements with connections to job seekers, TRC sport and recreation manager Paul Kelly said.

"Construction will commence in the coming months with the cafe being constructed off-site and being delivered in the middle of the year," he said.

"A youth training cafe will provide much needed infrastructure and resources to offer employment and training to local young people and increase opportunities for our youth to live, work and contribute to our community.

"By locating the cafe as part of the newly constructed Viaduct Youth Hub, the trainees will gain experience working and interacting directly with the community."