Tamworth skate park cafe: See concept designs and the plan to potentially turn it into a training ground

Tamworth Regional Council has put forward a concept for a cafe that doubles as a training camp for young people.

The aim is to boost youth unemployment rates in the region with trainees being handed career progression in the cafe and with other businesses in the CBD.

Social enterprise cafes have a strong history, but Tamworth would be one of the first between Newcastle and Byron to do it in a regional area, JobLink Plus new business executive Emily Roy said.

"The social enterprise model seeks to overcome that ultimate catch-22 where you can't get a job without experience," she said.

"It reduces the risk to a future employer and creates confidence in the new worker to try things out in a place that's a bit more forgiving.

"With employers feeling the pinch in drought they need to know they're hiring someone who's able to contribute to the business quickly, so someone who's really green isn't always the first choice."

Council will vote on whether or not to seek grant funding through the state government to fund the youth cafe project at in closed council at the meeting on Tuesday night.

The cafe would ultimately be run by a training organisation under a licence agreement with the council.

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The project proposal would include construction of a commercial facility with all the bells and whistles, housed in specially modified shipping containers.

To be chosen for the grant, the council has to demonstrate is has a prospective partner with the capability to run the youth cafe and provide ongoing training.

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