Step into Dal Café and Catering any lunchtime of the week and it’s clear to see that amongst Geelong locals, this is a popular café. However, it’s not just the food and coffee that draws in the crowds, it’s also the team of friendly and efficient staff.
What you may not know is that dal café provides training and employment opportunities for people with disabilities. Established in 1991, the social enterprise strives to provide leadership in building inclusive communities by fostering a culture that supports transition into full and equitable employment, ensuring that those living with a disability has an employment pathway.
With thanks to your donations, dal Café & Catering received a $10,000 grant to enable the purchase of kitchen equipment, strengthening dal’s Transition to Employment Training Program.
Noah is a current participant of this program; his journey with dal first began with work experience while at Nelson Park school. “Working at dal is fun and I am learning a lot. I was a bit uncertain at first but learning new skills and making new friends is a great opportunity and the staff are nice and help me when I need it.” Said Noah.
The Program takes school leavers through a three-year vocational training program to develop skills in hospitality and become work ready before placement into a support or open employment.
Since taking part in the program, Noah has now completed a course in Hospitality and enjoys working at dal 4 days a week. “It makes me proud to learn all of these skills in Hospitality and if I move out of home I will have the skills to be able to cook my own food!”