Brewing the Aroma of 2nd Chances · Marginality is not destiny.
Welcome to The TCE Academy Knowledge Base — answers to the questions most often asked by learners, families, donors and partners. The Academy is the evening training arm of The Caffeine Experience, a Singapore social enterprise equipping people on the margins with specialty-coffee craft, soft skills and faith formation. We open in November 2026 at The Gateway East, 152 Beach Road.
The TCE Academy (TCA) is the training arm of The Caffeine Experience Pte Ltd, a Singapore social enterprise established in 2017 and recognised as an NVPC Company of Good (2025–2027). We equip youth-at-risk, ex-offenders and people restarting life with the craft, character and confidence to write a new chapter — not as charity cases, but as professionals-in-training.
Our curriculum of 44 courses is built on three pillars, each running on its own evening:
We believe a person flourishes when the whole person is developed together — the head (knowledge and skill), the heart (character and faith) and the hands (craft and vocation). This whole-person approach mirrors the “Flourishing Schools” framework used widely in Christian education, which integrates faith, character and excellent practice rather than treating them as separate subjects.
Our coffee training is certified by the ASEAN Coffee Federation through the ASEAN Coffee Institute (ACI), the federation’s official training body, headquartered in Singapore. Vocational modules are aligned to Singapore’s WSQ (Workforce Skills Qualification) framework, pending Approved Training Organisation accreditation. For our faith-formation and academy practice we look to international Christian-education standards such as ACSI (Association of Christian Schools International) and ICAA, which emphasise holistic, character-centred learning. Food-handling certification follows the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) standard.
The Academy exists for people on the margins — youth-at-risk, those re-entering society after incarceration, and anyone restarting life. You do not need prior experience or qualifications. You need willingness to learn and to grow.
Classes run in the evenings at The Gateway East, 152 Beach Road, Singapore, from our November 2026 launch. Faith formation runs Mondays & Thursdays, soft skills on Tuesdays, and coffee & vocational training on Wednesdays.
Fees are kept deliberately accessible. Core 3C soft-skills modules are around S$40 (S$100 for the full series); introductory and short courses are modestly priced; and our ACF-certified barista pathway is fixed at S$450 (Level 1) and S$850 (Level 2), with the flagship Coffee Excellence Certificate at S$3,000. Several spiritual-formation courses are offered at a nominal S$9, and some programmes are marked “to be confirmed” pending our incoming CEO’s fee decision.
Yes — the coffee pathway leads to ASEAN Coffee Federation certification and, in time, WSQ qualifications. Completion of soft-skills and faith modules is also recognised within the Academy’s programme.
The vocational track is designed to open doors to employment in Singapore’s café and F&B sector — and, more deeply, to the dignity of work and a restored sense of self. We equip people with the craft, character and confidence to build a sustainable, independent life.
You can join us in proving that marginality is not destiny — through giving, hiring our graduates, sponsoring a learner’s pathway, supplying training equipment, or partnering as an employer or training collaborator. Visit our Get Involved page or contact us to explore the right fit.
As an NVPC Company of Good, every dollar invested helps a person on the margins gain craft, character and employability — reducing re-offending risk, restoring families and strengthening communities. We measure success not in transactions but in transformation: who someone is becoming.
We are a social enterprise — a business operating for a social cause. Trading income from training and café operations is reinvested into our mission of equipping people restarting life.
Yes. We welcome employer partners in F&B, hospitality and retail who are open to giving second chances. Partnership can include work placements, mentoring, and hiring graduates who arrive job-ready with recognised credentials.
It begins with Introduction to Coffee and progresses through ACF Barista Level 1 (espresso fundamentals, milk texturing, drink construction) and Level 2 (advanced calibration, speed and consistency, customer engagement). Specialist modules cover latte art, manual brewing, sensory & cupping, espresso-station operation, roasting and café operations.
ACF (ASEAN Coffee Federation, via the ASEAN Coffee Institute) is a regional, industry-recognised barista certification. WSQ is Singapore’s national Workforce Skills Qualification framework. We offer ACF certification from launch and are working towards WSQ accreditation as an Approved Training Organisation.
It is our flagship eight-week programme — the summit of the vocational track — covering roasting, advanced sensory evaluation, latte-art mastery and deep coffee knowledge, with two intensive blocks and a culminating assessment.
Hands-on coffee classes are kept small (typically 4–8 learners) to ensure close guidance, plenty of machine time and genuine skill-building.
Yes — anyone working in F&B in Singapore needs basic food-safety grounding. Our Food Safety & Hygiene (WSQ SAFE) module covers safe handling and hygiene to the SFA standard, delivered via an approved partner.
Soli Deo Gloria — To God alone be the glory.
Can’t find your answer? Please reach us through our Contact page and a member of the team will be glad to help.