Learning how to steam milk and navigate a point-of-sales system, whilst keeping up a conversation with a customer, is a delicate juggling act. Throw in navigating a new country\u2019s laws\u2014possibly in an unfamiliar language\u2014and having little socioeconomic capital? Everything is augmented in difficulty.<\/p>\n
For many refugees and asylum seekers, hospitality jobs are accessible because they\u2019re often entry-level and don\u2019t have stringent qualifications, valuing experience over education.<\/p>\n
I checked in with four coffee companies around the world that offer hospitality and barista training for refugees and asylum seekers. Support for these groups extends far beyond job opportunities: all the organizations also incorporate some combination of learning the local language, providing a safe work environment, and helping navigate complex government systems.<\/p>\n
\u201cCoffee training is really like a tactic or a bridge,\u201d says Ravi Prasad, founder of the social enterprise Parliament on King<\/a> in Erskineville, New South Wales, Australia. \u201cIt gets a lot of people into the cafe, out of their problems in life, and into a situation where they’re talking and working with other people.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n A post shared by Ravi Prasad (@parliamentonking)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n