A barista certificate is very useful when looking for a job in the hospitality industry. There are many places you can do barista courses in Sydney and most of them are in the CBD area. The most important factor is to make sure that the institution you choose will give you a nationally recognised barista certificate at the end of the course. This certificate is the SITHFAB012A Prepare and Serve Espresso Coffee certificate.
Most courses run between 2 and 6 hours and cost between $100 and $200. The difference is in the expertise of the instructors, the reputation of the institution, the time you have to practice on the machines and the materials your fees include. Some institutions will give you an information DVD and barista guidebooks that you can keep for future reference. If this is something you are interested in, make sure you research what materials are included in the course fees.
TAFE NSW Western Sydney Institute runs an introduction to professional espresso making on a Saturday.
After learning the basics, students can progress to courses such as Art with Coffee.