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What is a Skills Bootcamp?
Skills Bootcamps are free, flexible training programmes designed to help you fast-track your way into a new role or promotion. Barfection has teamed up with Liverpool City Region Combined Authority to deliver ShakeStart—a practical, cocktail-focused Bootcamp for anyone wanting to break into bar work or upskill into bartending and mixology. About the ShakeStart Skills Bootcamp ShakeStart is a Level 2 Cocktail Bartending & Mixology Bootcamp created to help you land your first bar role—or go further in the world of beverage service. You’ll gain both accredited hospitality qualifications and the real-life bar skills employers want to see. From setting up a bar station and mixing cocktails, to upselling drinks and delivering amazing customer service, you’ll be trained, tested, and ready to shake things up in your career. Course Highlights
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Who is it for?
This bootcamp is open to individuals aged 19+, who are:
No experience? No problem. All you need is enthusiasm for customer service, a team spirit, and basic English (Level 1 or above). What You’ll Learn ShakeStart is a perfect blend of certified qualifications, practical bartending experience, and employer connection. Accredited Qualification: City & Guilds Level 2 Certificate in Hospitality and Catering Principles (Beverage Service) Qualification Code: 600/0848/9 Core learning includes:
Hands-On Training Includes:
Plus:
What’s the Outcome? You’ll leave with real experience, a recognised qualification, and a clear path into work.
With Liverpool’s bar scene booming, employers are actively hiring—and ShakeStart gives you a head start. Interested? Then apply now to find out more. |
Read Pat's Story
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Pat began his journey in hospitality working in a hospital kitchen—but his real dream was bartending. The challenge? Breaking into the industry without experience.
Determined to change that, Pat enrolled on a Bartending Traineeship with Barfection. It gave him the hands-on training, knowledge, and confidence he needed to step into the world behind the bar. Shortly after finishing the course, Pat landed a role as a barback at Ducie Street Warehouse. There, a senior bartender recognised his potential, shared spec sheets, and encouraged him to start supporting with cocktail prep during quieter shifts. Just weeks into that role, Pat was approached by the hiring manager at MOJO—a venue known for only hiring bartenders with three years’ cocktail experience. But they were so impressed by Pat’s commitment to training and his drive to grow in the industry, they hired him. After a year at MOJO, Pat found himself drawn more toward leadership and operations—managing stock, creating rotas, and supporting the team behind the scenes. That shift led him to apply for supervisor roles. He was hired by a German tap house and cocktail bar in Manchester, where his impact was immediate—within a month, he was promoted to Assistant Manager, running events, developing menus, and transforming day-to-day operations. When the bar sadly closed at the start of 2023, Pat was at a crossroads—until he reconnected with Barfection. Today, Pat is proud to be part of the Barfection delivery team, now teaching and inspiring the next generation of bartenders through the Skills Bootcamps in Liverpool and Manchester. |
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