Inspiring young people and tackling unemployment, one cup of coffee at a time
Boss and Brew academy in Cardiff aims to tackle unemployment in minority communities through their free barista training course, where young people learn essential communication skills while learning how to make coffee.
Natalie Hodgkinson founded Boss and Brew academy in July 2021 to offer a free barista course to young people from minority communities. In the barista course, students learn the fundamentals of the speciality coffee industry, including communication skills, customer interaction, and résumé building.
Natalie says, “I taught secondary maths for eight years but fell in love with all things coffee and knew I wanted to get into the industry somehow. Lockdown hit, and like many I re-evaluated and decided to take the plunge with an idea I had floating around for quite some time. I never wanted to leave education completely and definitely didn’t want to stop working with young people, so I decided teaching barista programmes to young people was the perfect combination.”
Boss and Brew academy prepare young people for careers in the coffee industry or related fields by providing them with skills and confidence. The Cardiff council and CWMPAS (Collaborative Working and Maintaining Partnership for Adult Safeguarding) now fund the course, and the academy has recently been relocated to the Wales Millennium centre.
Boss and Brew academy was also named in the list of 100 changemakers in Wales for their contribution to the community.
“We use coffee making as a medium to bring out the best in young people.” says Natalie while talking about why she chose coffee making to tackle unemployment.
Boss and Brew Academy has also worked with local organisations like Cardiff Women’s Aid, Greenhill School, and the Into Work Advice Service, in addition to the Cardiff Council.
Since its establishment, numerous students from Grangetown, Butetown and other parts of Cardiff have completed the program and secured employment in the speciality coffee industry.
Natalie says, “The coffee industry is such a vibrant and exciting industry to be a part of, and there’s a whole host of opportunities out there for young people to get into. I love being able to help open those doors to such a fast-growing industry that they may not have considered before.”
All profits made by the Boss and Brew academy are invested in the academy to design courses and help more people learn essential skills.
Apart from barista courses at the academy, Natalie constantly collaborates with other cafes around the city to teach people how to make coffee. She also designs courses to work with different organisations and restaurants to help others. Boss and Brew academy also hosts latte art-making competitions and tasting sessions to engage with the community.
“You have to try new things to know and to discover what you’re good at, it can take time but everyone has something unique to offer. But if getting into the coffee sector is something you’re curious about, I know a really good barista training workshop you could try,” says Natalie speaking about her advice to young people.
Look at the map view of five other Social businesses in Wales impacting the community with their ideas and efforts.