The nonprofit training and professional development outfit Glitter Cat has launched Glitter Car HR, a new program designed to diversify the field of human resources in the coffee industry.
Applications for the program, which will include professional certification and a $1,500 stipend for trainees, are being accepted at this link until Friday, Feb. 17.
The program will kick off with a 10-week course accommodating 12 HR trainees. The coursework will culminate in a 150-question proctored exam. Trainees who pass the exam will earn associate professional in human resources (aPHR) certification. Through the paid training, they will also help develop HR documents that may be adopted by small coffee businesses for free or at low cost.
According to California-based Glitter Cat, the program does not directly involve job placements, but it will be designed to improve consulting or employment opportunities among participants.
“We need a new wave of human resources professionals who can bridge the gap between employees and business owners, provide clarity, and help all business stakeholders achieve their goals beyond making great coffee,” the group stated.
Sponsors for Glitter Cat HR include oat milk brand Oatly, roaster/retailer Intelligentsia Coffee and green coffee importer Cafe Imports.
Glitter Cat held its initial “Bootcamp” event in 2018, providing free training for United States coffee competition events to marginalized people, including BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, neurodivergent, disabled and persons of marginalized gender. Glitter Cat soon after branched out to sponsor more competitions and trainings, and launched a subscription program to promote roasters.
The group said its new HR program has been in the works since 2020, when it was initially called the “Anti-Racism Hospitality Overhaul.”
“In June of 2020, there was a tidal wave of coffee company commitments to black employees and guests and sadly, there hasn’t been much in the way of follow-up or accountability measures since,” the group said. “Smaller coffee businesses often have owners and paycheck processing companies handle their human resources and this means a lot of crucial elements of running a hospitality business fall through the cracks. In the rare cases where employees of these companies have handbooks and policies, they often don’t get to the core of issues we face in the industry and leave major questions unanswered.”
More information on the Glitter Cat HR launch can be found here.
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