Young entrepreneurs at Lakeview Senior College are getting a sip of what it’s like to run a small business.
Year 11 and 12 students started a mobile business, dubbed the VCAL Coffee Cart Cafe, running, managing and selling hot beverages and snacks as part of their final years’ of study.
All the profits from the cafe are donated to a variety of local causes as well as the Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal.
Supervising teacher Melanie Brooks said the enterprise would give students a taste of the “real world”.
“The VCAL teaching team thought it would be fantastic to allow the students to run their own business to gain practical skills along with theoretical knowledge,” Ms Brooks said.
“Students researched a few different kinds of business before settling on a cafe to service the college community.”
She said they built the business from the ground up – literally.
“Students worked with tradesmen to design and build the coffee cart,” Ms Brooks said.
“They also recycled milk crates, wooden pallets and coffee bean bags to make stools and tables for the cafe customers.”
The students will complete barista training and safety and food handling certificates as part of the project.
Ms Brooks said she hoped the students learnt practical business skills, teamwork and co-operation and a sense of community contribution from the project.
