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Moorabool Police are running a new program to help young people receive valuable training to gain employment. When Leading Senior Constable Jim Ross became the Youth Resource Officer in Moorabool, he had a keen interest in restarting the Blue Light program. While the resurgence of the program 14 years ago was widely popular, he has long wanted to expand it to be more than discos for primary school-aged children. And now he is. “We had been exploring various ideas to expand the branch,” Leading Senior Constable Ross said, when the perfect idea came to light that was “doable” and “easy” to get off the ground. WHAT DO YOU THINK? HAVE YOUR SAY AT THE BOTTOM OF THE ARTICLE After discovering that Moorabool Shire was exploring the idea of putting young people through a barista program, Leading Senior Constable Ross realised this was something that the Bacchus Marsh Blue Light program could achieve. The program, called Barista Blue, will give young people an opportunity to gain formal training and experience in hospitality to make them “job-ready”. About 30 young people from Moorabool Shire will be chosen to participate in the fully-funded basic barista course at T.M.G College in West Melbourne. But Leading Senior Constable Ross said he thought the program could achieve more than simply the barista course – he wanted the young people to be given real-world experience in hospitality to boost their employment prospects. “I thought it would add more value to the course if they do a few hours of work experience and get exposure to working in a cafe,” he said. When he went across to grab his usual coffee one morning, Leading Senior Constable Ross approached his local cafe in Bacchus Marsh – Lola’s Cafe and Espresso Bar- and asked if they would be interested in being involved in the program. Asked if they would be happy to allow about 30 young people through their doors for work experience, the owner jumped on board with the idea. As such, the young people, aged between 15 and 17, will be taken to Melbourne in small groups of about six people. They will then be invited to volunteer four hours of their time to gain work experience at the cafe after participating in the course – taking out meals, clearing tables, doing dishes, making milkshakes and thick shakes and even trying their hands at the coffee machine. Owner Jenny Colley said she opted to be involved because it was a “fantastic” project for the community and its young people. “It’s good to give young kids a chance to come and try out what it’s like working at a cafe,” Ms Colley said. Those who undertake work experience could possibly be employed down the track, or she could be a reference for them when applying for another job. In addition to the barista course being free for the chosen youth to undertake, transport costs to travel there and back will be paid for as…
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