Get Set for Work in the Whitsundays

 A one-week work experience stint with Whitsunday Gold Coffee was so successful for 16-year-old Conan Walker, he was asked to return for more.

 The Year 10 student from Proserpine State High School was placed with Whitsunday Gold Coffee through the organisation ‘Get Set for Work’, whose co-ordinator is also Quota of Whitsunday president Kerrie McCallum-Coles. Ms McCallum-Coles says ‘get set for work’, which is funded by the Queensland government’s “skilling Queenslanders for work” initiative, is about helping young people who are “disengaged” and possibly won’t finish Year 12.

 “The key is finding the right mentor for them,” she said, adding that Whitsunday Gold Coffee had been particularly supportive in this role.

 Sales and Marketing Manager for Whitsunday Gold Coffee Ali Simpson said having Conan at the company and participating in the program had been an “honour”.

 “It’s a privilege to be a support to young people. To help them get back on track is our role, we believe.” 

 Ms Simpson also said the older generations could sometimes be a little harsh in judgement of today’s youth.

 “It’s funny how we’ve all forgotten what we were like between 15 and 18! We all have selective memory,” she said.

 Conan Walker said he had benefited greatly from his time at Whitsunday Gold Coffee.

 “I’ve learned a lot of new stuff. It’s been really good. I didn’t know much about Whitsunday Gold Coffee before this, but it’s such a beautiful place,” he said.

 Get set for work is seeking more local businesses to help make this program a success. For more information contact Kerrie McCallum-Coles on 0419 796 773.

Quota says Whitsunday Coffee is Gold

 The Quota International of Whitsunday club, held a social function at Whitsunday Gold Coffee (WGC) last Saturday, in what Quota Whitsunday president Kerrie McCallum-Coles says will be a series of events supporting local businesses.

 “The club is supporting new businesses in the region by coming along and holding social functions,” Ms McCallum-Coles said, adding that WGC had also supported Quota by helping out at a recent conference.

 Ms McCallum Coles said particularly in times like these, shopping locally and supporting local businesses was incredibly important.

 “I think organisations like ours can help to promote local businesses like this. WGC is a particularly good one for our tourism too. One day hopefully everyone in the Whitsundays will be using WGC in their restaurants and cafes.”

 Sales and marketing manager for WGC Ali Simpson said she was pleased to host Quota Whitsunday with the coffee farm proving the ideal function centre.

 “There’s plenty of room for adults as well as children. It’s nice to have that alcohol free zone where everyone can come together as a club and include children,” Ms Simpson said.

 Ms Simpson said WGC had also put in a bid for the Whitsunday region’s farmers’ market location.

 “We’re centrally located between all of the interested centres,” she said.

 Quotarians and their families enjoyed a coffee plantation tour and afternoon tea, which Ms McCallum Coles described as “Very informative”.

 “I’d definitely recommend it as a visitor experience,” she said.

Whitsunday Gold Coffee welcomes visitors for a cuppa

The smell of brewing coffee at the Whitsunday Gold Coffee plantation was very welcoming for 28 visitors and film crew who arrived in Proserpine on Friday morning to film an upcoming episode of Channel 7's Queenslander Weekend.
For more on this and other Whitsundays news stories, pick up a copy of the Whitsunday Coast Guardian, available now from leading newsagencies, Coles (Cannonvale) and the Chapman Street office in Proserpine.