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!
Scarf has impacted over 300 young lives since we began running programs in 2010. Watch our videos to hear directly from graduates.
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.
Graduate Voice are essential to the Scarf Team and Board gaining a deeper understanding of the wants and needs of program participants. Find out more.
Our Impact
The below statistics are current at 1 July 2024
40
|
total programs
3 x Skill Up with Scarf Programs
6 x Tasting Plate Programs
31 x 10-week Seasonal Programs
|
339
|
total graduates
27 x Skill Up with Scarf graduates
87 x Tasting Plate graduates
225 x 10-week Seasonal Program graduates
|
94%
|
trainee retention rate
Of the 362 young people who have enrolled in Scarf programs since 2010, 339 have graduated. |
286
|
Scarf Dinners & events
This includes 278 Scarf Events and five Do More Than Dine fundraising events.
|
.
23,000+
|
hours of hands-on industry training
- Approximately 19,000 directly facilitated by Scarf team, trainers and mentors
- Approximately 4,000 facilitated by Scarf Partners including Five Senses and Short Courses Australia
|
9,800+
|
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.
|
11,030
|
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. |
45
|
partner restaurants
We're so grateful to the 45 Melbourne venues who've supported us by hosting Scarf Events - we literally couldn't do it without them!
|
350+
|
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.
|
20,070
|
diners served
Scarf diners are essential to our model, creating a real-world restaurant experience for trainees, and financially supporting our social enterprise.
|
$309,200
|
participant wages
Scarf trainees and graduates have collectively earned over $308,000 in award wages through Scarf Events and paid 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.