Starbucks Launches Second Recruitment for 'Restart Support Program' to Help Middle-Aged and Older Adults Rebuild Careers

Ministry of SMEs and Startups and Small Enterprise Market Promotion Corporation Recruit Rebooting Small Business Owners Aged 40 and Over
Starbucks Barista Employment Opportunities Provided Through Internal Hiring Process for Outstanding Training Completers

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Seon-ae] Starbucks Coffee Korea, which is leading open recruitment without discrimination and job creation for vulnerable groups, will begin recruiting the second batch of trainees for the ‘Restart Support Program’ from the 14th, in collaboration with the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Small Enterprise and Market Service.

The ‘Restart Support Program’ is part of a win-win initiative related to the 13th social contribution business agreement signed by Starbucks with the Ministry of SMEs and Startups in May. The program supports caf? re-startups or employment for small business owners aged 40 and above through Starbucks’ systematic barista training.

Eligibility for the program includes small business owners aged 40 or older who have closed or are planning to close their businesses and wish to restart. Applicants must have completed ‘re-startup education’ or ‘recovery education’ supported by the Small Enterprise and Market Service and be born on or before December 31, 1980, as detailed in the recruitment announcement.

Starbucks plans to continue efforts not only in education but also in job creation by supporting outstanding trainees who complete the program to be employed as Starbucks baristas through internal recruitment procedures.

The final selected trainees will receive 16 hours of theoretical and practical training at the Starbucks Sogong Academy Center from Starbucks’ professional instructors.

The instructors conducting the training are Starbucks’ top in-house coffee experts holding the company’s internal certification, the Global Coffee Master qualification. They provide education that is practically helpful for store operations, including the latest coffee trends and knowledge, effective customer service, beverage quality and hygiene management, and store profit and loss management. Additionally, trainees will use various coffee equipment in the training center to make Starbucks’ signature beverages themselves, learning the skills necessary for beverage preparation.

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

Middle-aged baristas who join Starbucks in the future will receive the same working conditions, welfare benefits, and promotion opportunities as Starbucks partners, along with special training to help them adapt to their roles stably.

The ‘Restart Support Program,’ which recruited its first batch of trainees on August 1, attracted significant interest from the middle-aged demographic, with nearly 30,000 views of the announcement during the 10-day recruitment period.

Following the selection of the first batch, the overall satisfaction with the program’s training scored 94 out of 100, with most trainees expressing high satisfaction. Additionally, 90% of trainees responded that the program was practically helpful for their restart, and 96% said they would recommend the program to middle-aged people dreaming of restarting. Positive feedback included comments that the training was beneficial, provided an opportunity for growth, and motivated them to prepare for re-startup.

Jo Bong-hwan, Chairman of the Small Enterprise and Market Service, stated, “We hope that small business owners aged 40 and above will successfully settle on the path of re-startup and re-employment by receiving excellent corporate management know-how, and that this will send a message of hope to small business owners during these challenging times.”

CEO Song Ho-seop said, “The true meaning of this program lies in seeing small business owners find hope and dreams once again through the Restart Support Program. We will continue to operate and develop the program so that many middle-aged people in Korea can maintain hope and continue their challenges.”

Including the 27 trainees selected in the first batch, Starbucks plans to recruit a total of 100 middle-aged trainees aged 40 and above by the end of this year, continuing support for their re-startup and employment.

Applicants wishing to participate in the second recruitment of the ‘Restart Support Program’ can apply through the Small Enterprise and Market Service website by 6 p.m. on the 23rd.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.