A new hospitality training cafe has opened in Muswellbrook, offering students real-world experience in a working cafe while gaining formal qualifications. The AGL Hospitality Training Cafe, located inside the Muswellbrook Regional Gallery, is a partnership between Muswellbrook Shire Council, AGL Energy and Muswellbrook High School.
The cafe site had been closed since the COVID period, when Council was forced to shut the venue amid widespread hospitality disruption. Mayor Jeff Drayton said the reopening is part of Council’s renewed focus on youth opportunities, allowing students to gain both qualifications and day‑to‑day customer experience.
“It’s actual real-life on-the-job experience, talking to people, having to deal with the public and serve the public and listen to what complaints there might be, and of course all the positive stuff as well,” he said.
“There are quite a number of kids who want to work in hospitality, and this gives them exactly that opportunity.”
AGL Stakeholder Engagement Manager Rob Cooper said the company immediately backed the concept after meeting with Council.
“We thought it was brilliant. Anything that supports job creation and skills development in young people, giving them some confidence and life skills, is fantastic,” he said.
“The region is going through a significant transition challenge, and initiatives like this that help the broader community create new jobs and build new skills are really important.”
Mayor Drayton said local cafes and hospitality venues have already expressed interest in employing graduates.
“We’ve had hospitality businesses asking when the kids will be trained and ready to go, because they’ve got a job for them,” he said.
The cafe will be open to the public between 9am and 4:30pm Monday to Friday, with the potential to expand hours or days down the track.
