Starbucks Supports Entrepreneurship and Employment for Middle-Aged and Older Adults

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Saeng-hye] Starbucks is supporting entrepreneurship and employment for middle-aged and older adults, following career-interrupted women, people with disabilities, and young talents.

Starbucks Coffee Korea announced on the 5th that it will officially launch the "Starbucks Restart Program," which supports cafe startups and Starbucks employment for middle-aged and older adults in Korea, in collaboration with the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Small Enterprise and Market Service.

This program is part of a win-win initiative related to the generous corporate business agreement Starbucks signed with the Ministry of SMEs and Startups last May. At that time, Starbucks and the Ministry agreed to support barista training programs aimed at reemployment or entrepreneurship for small business owners aged 40 and above who had closed their businesses.

Through this program, Starbucks will recruit a total of 100 trainees nationwide, including those preparing to start cafes and those hoping to join Starbucks, all aged 40 and above, and will provide various coffee-related training programs necessary for entrepreneurship and employment.

In particular, those who complete the training and wish to work at Starbucks will be supported to become Starbucks baristas through internal hiring procedures.

Selected trainees will first undergo 16 hours of theory and practical training at designated Starbucks training centers. The training will cover various topics such as the latest coffee trends and knowledge, effective customer service, beverage quality and hygiene management, and store profit and loss management.

To help prospective entrepreneurs overcome difficulties due to lack of experience and to be cautious when starting cafes or food service businesses, Starbucks experts will share diverse store operation know-how. Even after the training, continuous mentoring will be provided to support stable store management and maintenance of excellent quality during actual startup.

Additionally, middle-aged baristas hired through this program will receive the same working conditions, benefits, and promotion opportunities as other Starbucks partners, along with special training to help them adapt to their roles stably.

Starbucks has conducted open recruitment without discrimination based on education, age, or gender, and it expects that this restart support program for those aged 40 and above will provide middle-aged adults with an opportunity to challenge themselves without hesitation.

Jo Juhyun, Director of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, said, "It is very encouraging that Starbucks' Restart Program is prepared as a practical recovery program that goes beyond simple professional education to provide employment opportunities, and we appreciate Starbucks' generous corporate efforts for mutual growth." He added, "We will continue to prepare various recovery programs that can give hope to middle-aged small business owners struggling due to COVID-19."

Jo Bonghwan, President of the Small Enterprise and Market Service, said, "We hope that through this program, recovering small business owners will successfully settle on the path of re-entrepreneurship and reemployment by receiving Starbucks' excellent management know-how." He added, "The Service will also continue to work harder to prepare various policies to directly support new challenges of small business owners together with the Ministry."

Song Hoseop, CEO of Starbucks, said, "We will do our best to make this program a practical opportunity for a new start for our middle-aged and older adults." He added, "The social experience of middle-aged adults is expected to harmonize well with current Starbucks partners and become a valuable asset for us."

The application period for participation in this training program is 10 days from the 10th to the 19th, and applications can be submitted through the Small Enterprise and Market Service website.