Photo of two young males standing at the front of the Shine Like Gold mobile cafe. They are holding their hands in a thumbs up gesture. The cafe is bright yellow and blue with comic-style graphics.

Gold Foundation’s Go for Gold project

Go for Gold is a three-year project aimed at providing programs to assist young people on the autism spectrum as they transition into adulthood through either employment or education pathways. Gold Foundation received grant funding from JFM Fund to support the growth of Go for Gold’s three programs: the 12-week Inclusive Hospitality program, Shine Like Gold Cafe, and the 10-week Uni Ready Program.

JFM sunshine logo mark

About the grant

The Go for Gold project is comprised of three different programs for young autistic people to access:

  1. Inclusive Hospitality Program: A 12-week program where young autistic people learn the ins and outs of how to work in the Hospitality industry from highly experienced mentors with potential of future employment opportunities at our Shine Like Gold Café or KOM Café.
  2. Shine Like Gold Café: An Australian-first initiative where young autistic superheroes learn to build real-life practical skills through workplace paid employment. This Mobile Café is designed for young autistic people aged 14 years and over and serves a massive part of our local community, giving participants a sense of purpose and achievement in their lives.
  3. Uni Ready Program: A 10-week program designed for autistic people under 30 years old who are considering university studies in the following year. Our expert Facilitators support students to plan and prepare for university by providing valuable information, building key foundational skills, and fostering the confidence required to overcome challenges. The Program format resembles how learning is done at universities, giving students a taste of what to expect.

The grant from JFM Fund is helping Gold Foundation cover the following key expenses:

  1. Mentors for the Inclusive Hospitality Program.
  2. Wages for young autistic staff in the ‘Shine Like Gold!’ mobile cafe. Mobile café staff are paid award rates.
  3. Expert facilitators for the Uni Ready Program.
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Project goals

The key outcomes of the grant are as follows:

1. Deliver and scale up a Mobile Café employing young autistic people.

2. Deliver Inclusive Hospitality Programs for work skills development in young autistic people.

3. Deliver Uni Ready Programs for young autistic people.

4. Enable more young autistic people to set and make progress on work skills development goals.

5. Enable more young autistic people to set and make progress on education skills development.

Related content

Close up photo of Connor, Community Manager at Gold Foundation. He has dark hair and is wearing a dark suit jacket over a shirt.

“The Go for Gold project takes Gold Foundation’s work in autism spectrum intervention to the next level. It equips young autistic people with the career readiness skills to successfully transition into employment or tertiary education. Participants in the project have the opportunity to discover and harness their unique skills and talents, helping them transition into the ‘jobs of the future’.”

Connor Pangallo, Community Manager, Gold Foundation
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