The Mornington Peninsula is known for its pristine beaches, world class wineries and vibrant cafe scene but did you know that it also has one of the highest rates of youth unemployment in Australia.

It also has, at any given moment, 200 unfilled jobs in hospitality.

The opportunity to find meaningful employment is out of reach for many of our communities most at risk young people. Whether it is a lack of public transport, inadequate training or simply low self-belief, the challenge of finding a good job is a real and present issue facing many of our youth. 

That’s where HomeGround comes in.

HomeGround was birthed in 2016 with a vision to champion the strengths of the local Tanti Park community, and provide on-the-job training and employment pathways for young people in our community.

Commonfolk supports HomeGround with donated coffee, expert barista training and funding through our initiative The Cup That Counts.

Covid was a difficult period for HomeGround as it was forced to postpone the training program and shutdown for a number of months. During this period HomeGround did what everyone was doing and “pivoted” so that it could continue to support the local community.

By partnering with other local support services the HomeGround team rolled out ‘In This Together’ [ITT] a support service providing home cooked meals for the community. ITT has continued even after the lockdown restrictions have lifted and is still helping dozens of local families eat well.

What’s on the agenda at HomeGround for 2021?

The HomeGround hospitality training is returning, with the first cohort commencing their traineeship mid-February. The training program has continued to been refined and improved, with a renewed focus on providing industry best-practice technical skills, but not neglecting the soft skills required to successfully work in hospitality [or any industry for that matter].