Coffee class to join the grind

By Bridget Cook
THE first class of students have graduated from MadCap Cafe’s four-day intensive barista course.
MadCap Cafe, in Dandenong, is a not-for-profit program set up to train and employ people with mental illnesses, giving them the opportunity to lead better lives.
Over the next 12 months about 240 participants will complete the coffee course and gain the skills to join the workforce.
Project manager Anthony Cheeseman said the course was a stepping stone for those who experienced significant barriers when it came to employment.
“We are providing them with a skill useful to the community,” Mr Cheeseman said. “It is more a transitional step to open employment.”
The program is a combined effort of many local organisations including Wallara, Sarina Russo Job Access and LETS training service. MadCap Cafe is owned by Eastern Region Mental Health Association, and VicUrban provided the space, which accommodates up to 10 students at any one time working on five coffee machines.