Student Barista Course
Barista Skills & Hospitality Careers Workshop
A practical, hands-on workplace learning experience designed for secondary students to develop barista skills, employability skills and an understanding of hospitality career pathways.
At a Glance
Everything a school needs to know about the workshop, without the need to sort through a long course document.
What Students Experience
This practical workplace learning experience introduces students to foundational barista skills while exploring hospitality and customer service career pathways.
Students learn how to prepare espresso, texture milk, follow café workflow, communicate with customers, maintain hygiene and operate equipment safely.
Literacy and numeracy are applied progressively throughout the workshop and culminate in a practical assessment where students prepare a café-style coffee and demonstrate industry-standard practices.
The workshop is delivered onsite using a mobile coffee setup, allowing students to experience a realistic workplace environment at their school.
Delivery Details
- Delivery: Mobile Onsite Workshop
- Recommended group: Up to 10 students
- Maximum daily capacity: 30 students across 3 sessions
- Duration: Approximately 2–3 hours
- Assessment: Practical skill demonstration
- Certificate: Certificate of Completion awarded
More Than Just Making Coffee
The workshop uses coffee as an engaging, real-world context for developing skills students can take into future study, employment and hospitality environments.
Students practise communication, teamwork, problem-solving, workplace responsibility, literacy and numeracy while gaining insight into what working in hospitality can actually look like.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the workshop, students will have the opportunity to:
01. Understand the Role
Understand the role and responsibilities of a barista in a hospitality environment.
02. Equipment
Identify key parts and functions of an espresso machine and coffee grinder.
03. Safety & Hygiene
Apply safe and hygienic food preparation and equipment practices.
04. Espresso
Grind, dose and extract a basic espresso using appropriate techniques.
05. Milk Skills
Steam and texture milk and prepare a range of milk-based coffee drinks.
06. Customer Service
Use appropriate communication skills when interacting with customers.
07. Workplace Skills
Apply literacy and numeracy skills within authentic workplace contexts.
08. Career Pathways
Identify hospitality and customer service career and training pathways.
Key Capabilities
The workshop supports the development of practical employability and workplace capabilities.
Communication
Speaking, listening and communicating clearly in workplace situations.
Collaboration
Working cooperatively with others in a café-style environment.
Problem Solving
Responding to practical challenges and adjusting techniques.
Workplace Awareness
Understanding workplace expectations, responsibility and customer service.
Safe Equipment Use
Developing awareness of safe operation and hygiene procedures.
Practical Numeracy
Applying measurement, timing, ratios and other numeracy skills in context.
Pathway Connection
The workshop supports pathways into hospitality training, including programs such as VCE VET Hospitality, as well as broader hospitality and food service opportunities.
Victorian Curriculum Mapping
Barista Course – Complete Curriculum Mapping Table (Years 9–12)
Aligned to the Victorian Curriculum F–10, Literacy & Numeracy Progressions and relevant course codes.
The workshop supports English, Mathematics, Design and Technologies, Health and Physical Education and Personal and Social Capability. It may also support VCE VET Hospitality, Hospitality and Food Services and school-based workplace learning programs.
| Barista Task | Literacy (VCAA) | Numeracy (VCAA) | Learning Progressions | Curriculum Code | Capability Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading coffee orders (verbal/written) | Interpreting workplace texts (menus, orders) | — | Understanding everyday texts | VCELY420 | Personal & Social Capability |
| Taking customer orders | Speaking & listening in workplace context | — | Interacting with others | VCELY419 | Personal & Social Capability |
| Explaining menu items to customers | Oral communication and clarity | — | Expressing ideas clearly | VCELY427 | Intercultural Capability |
| Writing simple orders or notes | Creating functional texts | — | Writing for purpose | VCELY420 | Critical & Creative Thinking |
| Following coffee-making instructions | Interpreting procedural texts | — | Understanding instructions | VCELY420 | Ethical Capability |
| Measuring coffee dose (grams) | — | Measurement and number | Quantifying numbers | VCMNA280 | Critical & Creative Thinking |
| Timing espresso extraction | — | Time measurement | Using time in real contexts | VCMNA282 | Critical & Creative Thinking |
| Adjusting grind size and extraction | Understanding instructions | Problem-solving with variables | Applying reasoning and problem-solving | VCMNA280 | Critical & Creative Thinking |
| Milk texturing (temperature + consistency) | Understanding instructions | Estimation and measurement | Estimation strategies | VCMNA280 | Personal & Social Capability |
| Preparing coffee recipes (ratios) | Reading procedural texts | Ratio and proportion | Multiplicative thinking | VCMNA285 | Critical & Creative Thinking |
| Handling money / pricing (simulated) | Reading transactional texts | Financial maths | Money and financial maths | VCMNA280 | Personal & Social Capability |
| Cleaning and hygiene procedures | Reading safety instructions | — | Interpreting procedural texts | VCHPEP125 | Ethical Capability |
| Working in a café team | Verbal communication | — | Collaborative interaction | VCPSCSE043 | Personal & Social Capability |
| Customer service scenarios | Speaking and listening | — | Social communication skills | VCPSCSO047 | Personal & Social Capability |
| Operating espresso machine safely | Understanding instructions | — | Applying procedural knowledge | VCDSTC048 | Personal & Social Capability |
| Understanding café workflow systems | Interpreting processes | — | Systems thinking | VCDSTS049 | Critical & Creative Thinking |
| Exploring hospitality career pathways | Reflection and discussion | — | Self-awareness and future planning | VCPSCSO047 | Personal & Social Capability |
How the Workshop Works
Students rotate through four practical learning stations, keeping the group engaged while allowing supervised access to equipment.
Coffee Theory & Hospitality Careers
Focus: Literacy & Career Education
Grinder & Espresso Preparation
Focus: Numeracy & Practical Skills
Milk Steaming & Texturing
Focus: Numeracy & Practical Skills
Drink Building & Customer Service
Focus: Literacy, Communication & Teamwork
Groups rotate approximately every 10–15 minutes. Only 2–3 students use the espresso machine at one time, allowing practical participation while maintaining close supervision.
Workshop Structure
A structured session combining demonstration, practical learning, workplace scenarios and assessment.
Safety & Risk Management
Safety is addressed before students begin practical activities, with equipment operation closely supervised throughout the workshop.
| Hazard | Risk | Control Measures |
|---|---|---|
| Hot steam wand | Burns | Trainer demonstration and close supervision |
| Hot espresso machine | Minor burns | Students briefed before using equipment |
| Electrical equipment | Electrical hazard | Equipment tested and tagged |
| Spilled liquids | Slip hazard | Immediate cleaning of spills |
| Coffee grinder | Minor injury | Grinder adjustments handled by trainer |
Student Certification
Students who successfully complete the workshop receive a Certificate of Completion recognising their participation and demonstrated skills.
The certificate recognises student participation and achievement across:
- Espresso preparation
- Milk texturing
- Workplace hygiene and safety
- Customer service communication
- Hospitality and customer service career exploration
Bring the Workshop to Your School
If you're interested in offering your students a practical introduction to barista skills, hospitality and workplace pathways, get in touch to discuss your preferred date, student numbers and session requirements.
Enquire About the Workshop