New project: Bistro Jeunesse
Launched with brio on November 6, 2024, Bistro Jeunesse is a café-restaurant serving delicious breakfasts and lunches from Monday to Thursday. The program aims to help youth who receive services from Batshaw Youth and Family Centres (Batshaw Centres) of our CIUSSS to develop entrepreneurial skills and help with their socio-professional integration.
The participants are supervised by a caseworker from Batshaw Centres, while learning the secrets of being a chef through La Tablée des Chefs*, and taking part in a scheduled series of inspiring and instructive hands-on workshops.
Transition into Adulthood, a Challenge for Youth under DYP
The path to adulthood is often a real obstacle course for youth who were in the care of the Youth Protection system. A variety of innovative programs exist to provide youth who are on their own as they transition into adult life with the skills they need to face the challenges that lie ahead.
How the Program Works
The youth recruited to take part in the Bistro Jeunesse are part of Batshaw Centres’ pre-employment program and are paid for their work. This permanent program gives groups of 5 to 7 young people the opportunity to gain 15 weeks of working experience in-house.
After completing this first step at the Bistro Jeunesse, the youth can continue work at participating La Tablée des Chefs partner restaurants (Bâton Rouge Grillhouse & Bar, Les Rôtisseries St-Hubert, Première Moisson). This second step, known as the “Job Readiness” step, is an opportunity for them to earn a certificate of professional qualification.
Once they have earned that certificate, they have several options open to them:
- Be hired at our CIUSSS through a special hiring trajectory;
- Find employment through La Tablée des Chefs placement program;
- Find a job on their own.
Those youth who want to continue with their training have access to bursaries through Batshaw Youth and Family Centres Foundation.
Youth Empowerment
The Bistro Jeunesse program helps establish five of the 13 key elements that influence the health of youth, support their social integration and help them to achieve their potential:
- Income
- Education and training
- Employment
- Social inclusion
- Food security
In addition to cooking techniques and food safety standards, the participants also learn to:
- Determine the price of a meal based on the cost of the ingredients
- Manage procurement with suppliers
- Take and process orders (by phone and online)
In other words, they learn to manage a business. And those skills will undeniably come in handy as they transition into adulthood!
Find them at:
Bistro Jeunesse
6, rue Weredale Park, Westmount, H3Z 1Y6
Open Monday to Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Menu and to order:
514-989-1885, ext. 1131, or email bistro.jeunesse.comtl@ssss.gouv.qc.ca
*“The Cook Up Your Future program from La Tablée des Chefs is a culinary education program designed for youth with atypical educational profiles and those who have been in the care of the Youth Protection system. It aims to give them the tools they need to develop food self-sufficiency and to help them enter the job market.”