When Alice Cooper - the so-called godfather of shock rock - was asked to write a letter to his 16-year-old self he added a postscript that read: “I think coffee might really catch on.”

You can see why he might have been tempted to include this tip in his missive, given that coffee has indeed become big business - according to the British Coffee Association coffee is the most popular drink worldwide, with around 2 billion cups consumed every day.

Now Scotland’s exam body, the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA), is trying to tap into the growth of coffee culture and has developed a new “barista skills” qualification - a unit studied at the equivalent of National 5 level.

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The qualification - which can be delivered as part of some hospitality qualifications - has been developed by the SQA. One of the organisations delivering the qualification, meanwhile, is the social enterprise Greenhouse CIC, which runs six coffee shops, including four in East Renfrewshire, one in South Lanarkshire and one in Glasgow.

‘Coffee is the vehicle, employability the destination’ 

Greenhouse CIC is a social enterprise with a focus on training vulnerable people in barista skills. It says the new qualification is easily adaptable for candidates with additional support needs and has a track record of engaging those who have generally low attendance.

There are around 40 pupils studying the barista skills course it is delivering at Barrhead High in East Renfrewshire. The pupils - the first cohort to undertake the qualification - come from all over the authority to the school in order to receive training on its industry-grade coffee machine.

Ciaran McMorran, Greenhouse CIC training and development manager, is one of the instructors delivering the course, which it charges £350 per pupil to deliver - this includes all materials and equipment.

He says that while the focus is on coffee the barista skills course is essentially an employability course.

“Coffee is the vehicle, not the destination,” he explains. “The focus is on coffee but the course is about preparing young people for the world of work and giving them the experience they need to get a job.”

Mr McMorran recognises that people might be dismissive and question whether you need a qualification to get a job in a café, but for some young people it is not so straightforward.

“One of the main barriers young people find to entering employment is that they lack previous experience and this course gives them that - as well as the soft skills that employers are looking for,” he says.

Greenhouse CIC marketing and social media manager, Emily Alldritt, adds: “Most people at one time or another will have had a really bad cup of coffee and it’s just one of the saddest things on a Monday morning.

“People tend to think the machine does it all for you but it really doesn’t. There is a lot of finesse involved that takes a cup of coffee from bog standard to something a bit special.”

Ms Alldritt trained as a teacher but after completing her probationary year decided to go back to being a barista. 

A blend of skills

The barista skills course covers the origins of coffee and coffee production; coffee roasting, tasting and blend selection; learning to operate a coffee machine; maintenance and cleaning of a coffee machine; perfecting espresso extraction times; milk steaming and frothing; making a range of coffees including espressos, lattés, cappuccinos, flat whites; latte art; cold drinks, including smoothies; customer service; safe and hygienic working practices and employability skills.