Students ground coffee beans, added espresso shots and blended frappés at summer school in Nanaimo.
The barista program, one of Nanaimo Ladysmith Public Schools' community schools summer programs, teaches students skills that can transfer to a job at a coffee shop and earn them a certificate. The course was offered at Wellington Secondary School on Friday, July 11.
Dyan Spink, former owner of Royston Roasting Company and program instructor, detailed the syllabus for Barista Level 1 and said there are no prerequisites.
"It really focused on all of the recipes and the different machines that they would use, and it's authentic Italian … If they make you a cappuccino, it's going to be just like you would get all over Europe," she said.
Hailey Larson said she took the course for job preparation and enjoyment.
"I want to put it on my resumé and I also just thought that it would be really fun to learn how to make all these cool drinks," she said. "I want to start preparing for having to work, jobs and make money while balancing school."
Graeson Barg said he enrolled to embrace his creative side, and said it's fun making drinks.
"I like creating things, and yeah, it would be fun to work in a coffee house and make money," he said.
Larson wasn't sure she liked her first cookies-and-cream frappé that she made, as it had a bit of a bitter taste.
"That's OK, I'll drink it anyway," she said.
Gillian Robinson, school district spokesperson, said courses like barista and cashier training are provided to support students and families during the summer. Programs are offered on a "cost-recovery basis" and there is a subsidy available to support students if necessary. The programs are facilitated by unionized support workers or teachers who express to SD68 that they have special skills or interests that could be suitable for summer courses, and they are then contracted for the positions.
While reports suggest the summer job market for students has been hard to crack, Spink said there always seems to be a need for baristas.
"Especially with training, it's even in more demand," she said. "I have coffee shops phoning me all the time because they're short-staffed. They're so busy, they hardly have time to train a new person, so it's really hard on them. They've got regulars, and they're expecting a drink to come out a certain way. So I find that almost all the students that take the training get jobs."
Barista training is available to students in Grade 9 and up. The course fee is $80 and will be next offered at Wellington Secondary on July 24 and at Departure Bay Elementary School on Aug. 13.
For more on school district summer programs, visit www.sd68.bc.ca/community-schools-summer-programs-2025.
