Coasters Cafe (From York Press)

Coasters Cafe

10:46am Thursday 27th August 2009 in

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COASTERS, a community café which offers vocational catering training, was developed by the people of Eastfield, Scarborough for the severely disadvantaged in their community.

Now the successful venue where people work, meet and learn is pitching for the Best Employer and Education Link and Progress Though People categories.

Coasters Café on Eastfield High Street competes with other commercial food outlets. It served the public from Monday to Friday and also provides off-site catering, mainly for the elderly clients of a commercial care provider.

As a training establishment, Coasters is in an area where statistics show severe disadvantages in education, skills and access to employment. It offers locally delivered courses, volunteering and work experience opportunities to local people experiencing social, economic and geographic exclusion.

So far it has offered 150 locals short courses and NVQs in a market devoid of local provision. They include teenagers aged 14 to 16 at risk of exclusion from school and unemployed adults.

The process has also meant staff being equipped to deliver training to NVQ Level 1 and 2 standards – achieved with the help of Yorkshire Coast College which offered assessor and verifier courses.

One 16-year-old, Joe Blacklock, said of Coaster’s: “This has given me enthusiasm and motivation. I have changed a lot and I am determined to be a chef.

“I would have left school with no qualifications and I would never have thought of going to college. Now I have my certificates, a place at college and a job.”