We believe hospitality can transform lives

The Scarf Story

At Scarf, we transform the lives of young people seeking protection, and those from refugee and migrant backgrounds, by getting them into work while adding flavour and heart to the Melbourne hospitality industry. Whilst volunteering with the refugee community in 2009 - 2010, Scarf co-founders Hannah Colman and Jess Moran observed firsthand how hard it can be for newly arrived young people to find jobs, despite having a great attitude and a willingness to take on anything!

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The Difference We Make

Scarf has impacted over 300 young lives since we began running programs in 2010. Watch our videos to hear directly from graduates.

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Our Vision, Mission and Values

Vision: A society which embraces diversity, celebrates connected communities, and has equitable employment opportunities for all. Mission: To create a nourishing, supportive and inclusive space for trainees to gain confidence, skills, knowledge and networks. To foster connections in the hospitality industry to create equitable employment opportunities.

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Hands-On Hospitality Training

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Author: Hannah Brennan

Trauma-Informed Approach

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Author: Hannah Brennan

What's a Scarf Dinner?

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Author: JENNIFER CONROY SMITH

Trainee & Graduate Wellbeing

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Author: Hannah Brennan

Graduate Focus Group

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Author: Hannah Brennan

Boosting Job Readiness

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Author: Hannah Brennan

Our Impact

The below statistics are current at 19 May 2023

37

total programs

3 x Skill Up with Scarf Programs

6 x Tasting Plate Programs
28 x 10-week Seasonal Programs

308

total graduates

27 x Skill Up with Scarf graduates

87 x Tasting Plate graduates
194 x 10-week Seasonal Program graduates

93%

trainee retention rate

Of the 330 young people who have enrolled in Scarf programs since 2010, 308 have graduated.

265

Scarf Dinners & events 

This includes 261 Scarf Dinners and four Do More Than Dine fundraising events.

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19,190

hours of hands-on industry training

- 15,508 directly facilitated by Scarf team, trainers and mentors 
- 3,682 facilitated by Scarf Partners including Five Senses and Complete Hospitality Training

9,090

hours of wellbeing and job readiness support

Through our trauma-informed framework, we provide individualised support to trainees and graduates with a focus on wellbeing and boosting job readiness.

10,390

hours of paid work experience

We pay Scarf trainees and graduates Restaurant Industry Award wages for their work with us, and provide professional references.*

72%

graduates in employment

More than 7 out of 10 graduates from Scarf's 10-week Seasonal Programs are in jobs within 6 months of graduating. 


38

partner restaurants

We're so grateful to the Melbourne restaurants who've supported us by hosting Scarf Dinners - we literally couldn't do it without them!

300+

mentors & trainers

Hospitality professionals volunteer to provide awesome, industry-standard training and mentoring to participants, who consistently rate the mentoring support as key to building their confidence. 

18,380

diners served

Scarf diners are essential to our model, creating a real-world restaurant experience for trainees, and financially supporting our social enterprise.

$264,950

participant wages

Scarf trainees and graduates have collectively earned $264,950 in award wages through
 Scarf Dinners, events and paid trials/work experience shifts, paid directly by Scarf.


*Lack of recent work experience and local references are consistently identified as two of the most significant barriers to employment for newly arrived refugees, migrants and people seeking protection. 

Hear from more Scarf graduates.

Scarf News