2011 CHOW Training (Co-op Hands-on Work Training for Teens) · Public Event

[Mike Simpson]

2011 CHOW Training (Co-op Hands-on Work Training for Teens)

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Time	Monday, June 13 at 1:00pm -  June 24 at 5:00pm
Location	Davis Food Co-op 620 G Street Davis, CA
Created By	Davis Food Co-op
More Info	Volunteering at the Co-op for Teens: 2011 CHOW Training Session 1, June 13-17 1-5pm; Session 2, June 20-24 1-5pm Can Teens Volunteer at the Davis Food Co-op? To superwork at DFC, you must be 18 years old, or have graduated high school/completed your GED, or have completed the Teen Co-op Hands On Work Training (CHOW) Program. People under the age of 18 may be allowed to member work at the Co-op without additional training under certain circumstances — for example, many families volunteer as a group at the Annual Holiday Meal on December 24. If you’d like to be on the mailing list for volunteer opportunities, including those open to teens, email Julie Cross at [e-mail] Member Workers volunteer 2 hours per month in exchange for a 5% discount the following month. Member work hours may be accrued and hoarded for future use. SuperWorkers volunteer 4 hours per week in exchange for a 16.5% discount the following week. SuperWork hours are not usually allowed to accrue, but exceptions can be made in special circumstances. Why Can’t Teens Volunteer Like Adults? Unfortunately, many teens don’t gain early work experience these days. Between increased homework demands and our affluent community, most Davis teens don’t get their first jobs until much later in life. While that may be good for their studies, it does mean that people are starting their first jobs at 18 or even older ‑ an age when many employers expect new hires to already have some of the basic skills. While this affects the Co-op in terms of new employees, it really gets sticky when we come to volunteers. Teens have been volunteering at the Co-op since at least the early 80’s, and we’d like to carry on that tradition. We are finding more and more often, however, that the teens coming in to volunteer simply don’t have the skills to work independently. When is the Next CHOW Training? CHOW trainings are usually held during school breaks. We will offer two summer sessions in 2011 - Session 1, June 13-17 and Session 2, June 20-24, both from 1-5pm. An important note: the ONLY way to apply for the CHOW training is for a person aged 15-18 to come into the Co-op office and talk to Julie Cross* all on his or her own. While we deeply appreciate the efforts of parents to help their teens get started on things, it has been our experience that teens who have their Co-op experience arranged for them have a significantly lower success rate. If your teen is not willing to walk into an office and ask for assistance, he or she is probably not ready for the CHOW experience. What do you learn in the Training? The CHOW program is a 22-hour course, taught over the course of several days. Topics covered will include Customer Service, Job Safety, Food Safety, Appropriate Dress & Workplace Behavior, Job Applications, and Communication. We enjoy teaching it, and expect it to be a fun, lively experience. There is a $50 fee for the training, and need based fee waivers are available on request. Can I perform my Community Service Hours at the Co-op? Only if you’ve completed the CHOW training. The Co-op does not offer a discount in exchange for community service hours. Can I get a job at the Co-op? Because of OSHA requirements and Liquor License rules, the Co-op generally requires employees to be at least 18 years old. Can I get a Job Reference if I Volunteer? Possibly — do ask your supervisor before giving out his or her name. A supervisor usually likes to have had enough time to form an opinion before giving a reference. *Julie Cross sits in the Admin Office, which is past the Deli and to the right down the hall. She’s usually available to talk about CHOW from 1-6 Monday through Friday. She has never bitten a teen.