Sixteen local young people are now well on their way to pouring the perfect flat white after a fully booked barista course was held in Harden on Wednesday 8 July.

Delivered by the experienced team from Art of Espresso, the hands-on course took participants through the fundamentals of coffee making, from grinding and dosing through to steaming milk, pouring and presentation.

By the end of the day, each young person walked away with practical, job-ready skills they can take straight into their first cafe or hospitality role, along with a healthy dose of confidence to go with them.

The course is one of many free programs on offer for young people this July school holidays through the Hilltops Youth Action Group (HYAG), and the demand speaks for itself, with every place snapped up well before the day.

It is a clear sign that when opportunities like this are put in front of our young people, they grab them with both hands.

The program would not have happened without the generous sponsorship of Community Bank Harden-Murrumburrah, which was proud to support the course, helping local young people gain practical skills and confidence for future employment opportunities.

Branch Manager Saurabh Mahajan visited on the day to see the young baristas in action and congratulated all participants on completing the course.

"It’s fantastic to see young people investing in themselves by learning new skills. As a community bank, we’re proud to support initiatives that create opportunities and strengthen our local community," Mr Mahajan said.

Community Bank Harden-Murrumburrah Chair Evelyn Shea said supporting programs that empower local people is at the heart of community banking.

"We congratulate all participants and thank the Hilltops Youth Action Group for delivering such a valuable initiative for our region," Ms Shea said.

The Harden-Murrumburrah Regional Development Corporation (HRDC) also lent its support, funding catering on the day and contributing to the cost of installing three-phase power outlets at the Mechanics Institute. While the power upgrade made it possible to run commercial coffee machines for the course, it is an investment that will keep on giving, opening the door for many more community events and activities at the venue for years to come.

HRDC CEO Melissa Pinney said programs like the barista course showed what can be achieved when local organisations work together.

"A huge thank you must go to Georgia Thomaidis and Hilltops Council for the wonderful job they do coordinating activities for the young people of the Hilltops region. These school holiday programs make a genuine difference, and the enthusiasm we saw on the day says it all," Ms Pinney said.

"We are also very fortunate to have the Community Bank Harden-Murrumburrah in our community. When you bank local, the profits are invested straight back into local projects just like this one. I would encourage everyone not already banking local to think about making the switch, because it is one of the simplest ways to support our town and our young people."

Georgia Thomaidis, Hilltops Council’s Youth Worker, pulls the HYAG school holiday programs together and works closely with all the young people involved, and programs like this simply do not happen without her energy and commitment.

With more free HYAG activities running right across the school holidays, there has never been a better time for young people in Harden-Murrumburrah to get involved, learn something new and connect with their community.