ANEW Hotels & Resorts is piloting a wonderful new initiative at the ANEW Hotel Hilton location
called the Barista Project. We have partnered with CIRO and eDeaf to employ a deaf barista.
Essential Deaf sensitization training was completed with all staff at ANEW Hotel Hilton to encourage positive communication and a compassionate working environment for a deaf employee. Sign language training has also commenced and the team are embracing the challenge of learning a new language.
The Ciro Coffee Academy provides training and employment for internationally accredited coffee shop baristas and now make it possible for the hearing impaired to become qualified baristas. Specially designed Sign Language menus have also been created to allow for easy understanding between patrons and baristas.
The Ciro Coffee Academy has designed specialised coffee courses to accommodate deaf baristas and all trainee baristas are taken through the Speciality Coffee Association modules which develop their knowledge and skills on the history of coffee machines and the coffee making process.
Also included in the training is customer engagement, grinding, extracting, milk texturing, presenting, serving and maintenance. On completion of training, The Ciro Coffee Academy assists deaf barista graduates with employment through its network of clients, which now includes ANEW Hotel Hilton.
ANEW Hotel Hilton supports Ciro’s commitment to uplifting South Africa’s deaf community by promoting the training and development of accredited coffee shop baristas. The programme provides great opportunity to improve the lives of the unemployed and under-skilled people in our
deaf communities.
