Michal Blum
Career Coordinator

YouthCare's Barista Training and Education Program

The Barista Training and Education Program (BTEP) works with youth ages 16-21 who are homeless or in transitional housing.  We offer eight weeks of intensive training in making espresso drinks, hygiene and sanitation, the history of coffee, coffee roasting, customer service, career exploration, resume and interview skills, and goal setting. The eight weeks include three weeks of supervised work at a cafe that serves coffee and food in the Treehouse Building in south Seattle, and two weeks of supervised work at the coffee cart in the downtown library.  We also refer our young adults to GED, community college, and certificate programs, for which we assist with the application process, buying books, securing funding for tuition.

Once our youth graduate from the eight weeks of training, I help them find jobs, internships, and job-shadows.  Some of them are job ready and do not need much assistance.  Some are interested in pursuing other fields and I help them explore options other than working in coffee shops and cafes.

I am looking for businesses and opportunities I can connect with to see if our youth could learn from you, work for you, create an internship with you, job shadow you for a day, and perhaps create something new that we haven't thought of yet!