South Australian disability service provider Novita has teamed up with local law firm DBH Lawyers, and developed a unique, purpose-built mobile coffee van to help young people learn valuable job skills and gain work experience.
The ‘Grounds for Growth’ coffee van will be operated by participants in Novita’s Transition to Work (TTW) program that supports school-leavers and young people living with disability to find and maintain a job.
Novita CEO Greg Ward said TTW participants keen to follow a career path in hospitality will learn important skills such as money handling and communicating with customers when they operate the coffee van. “Our staff will drive the coffee van and the TTW participants will prepare and serve food, cold drinks and coffees, helping them to build confidence and the skills they’ll need to find and maintain a job,” he said.
“Initially the coffee van will provide a weekday service for our Novita and scosa sites throughout Adelaide, with the potential to expand to visiting Novita partner and supporter sites, as well as online bookings and attending community events.”
DBH managing partner Amy Nikolovski told F2L the firm works with a lot of injured young people and the project gives them the chance to learn and practice important job skills.
“Over the years many of our clients and their families have accessed the services offered by Novita, and we jumped at the opportunity to give back, through this program, to those living with a disability in SA by helping them find a pathway to work.”
She said DBH is committed to the project for the next three years, initially with two workers who will undergo training for the next 12 months.
DBH also supports Catherine House for homeless women and the Hutt Centre for homeless and vulnerable people in Adelaide.
Caption: Transition to Work participants Sophie and Melissa