Job Skills Manual

CREW NOT PASSENGERS: A Guide to Implementing Employment Focused Youth Development Programs

Job Skills Program Manual

Acknowledgements This manual would not have been possible without building on the work of many, many people. In particular, we owe a lot to those who have done this work before us – though we may not be able to trace exactly what contributions come from where. Apologies if we’ve missed anyone and please do alert us to any mistakes we may have made!

The idea to do a manual – and much of the structure of our program – has been borrowed from The Food Project, in Boston. We highly recommend their manual Growing Together – it provides an excellent and comprehensive set of team-building activities, ways to think about the program, and resources for further exploration. Thanks to Seattle Youth Garden Works for alerting us to this resource and providing us with their adapted curriculum! Lucy Blue also deserves much of the credit for developing the Job Skills curriculum – her work on developing materials during the program’s first season was an excellent base!

In addition, we’d like to thank Hannah Mason for all of her help in developing employment skills materials. Hannah generously shared the materials she wrote over several years with YouthCare’s Barista Program – materials that were smart, well thought-out, and easy for students to follow. We adapted many of her hand-outs for our program and are excited to be building on her work.

We also used a number of excellent resources to inform the arc of the employment skills curriculum. A conversation with Dependable Strengths trainer Katie Hearn-Zang clarified our desire to include sections that would help students reflect on their strengths. As we continued to develop the early portions of our curriculum, we were guided by the processes used in the book What Color is Your Parachute (For Teens),

by Richard Bolles. Both of these resources allowed us to develop an excellent reflective base for our curriculum as a whole. We also are grateful to the approach outlined in Donald Asher’s Cracking the Hidden Job Market, which helped to bridge the earlier sections of the curriculum with the more technical later portions.

Finally, this entire program would not be possible without the hard work of CWB’s youth department staff and AmeriCorps members. Well done team!

Ruth Sawyer AmeriCorps VISTA, 2012-2013

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Job Skills Program Manual

Forward In 2011, ten youth from underserved backgrounds found their way into the first Job Skills Program at the Center for Wooden Boats. In that first year, we ran a program that was part boat-building, part on-thewater experience, and part job search skills at both of our locations on South Lake Union and at Cama Beach.

The program was a great success, resulting in many great connections, stories, and lessons for both students and staff of the Center. In late 2012, we decided to step back, reflect, and build upon our efforts. This manual is the result of our efforts to formalize and contextualize the program. We hope that it will allow others to create similar programs of their own!

Why Boats?

The Center for Wooden Boats’ Job Skills Program owes its existence to a long line of experiential educators and teachers. As a museum and as teachers, our philosophy is that people learn best when they can touch and interact with the subjects at hand. Insofar as learning about boats is concerned, we are in an excellent position to allow people of all ages to experience life on the water.

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Job Skills Program Manual In a deeper sense, the Job Skills Program seeks to allow youth to re-create themselves. On the water, students have to rely on themselves and each other in incredibly powerful ways. They are responsible for working together to successfully navigate a totally alien environment. The communication and leadership skills gained in this kind of environment are transferrable to almost any other job or life situation.

The underlying philosophy of experiential education – and of our program – is that people thrive when they are given meaningful work and responsibility. Since we are a maritime heritage organization, working on boats is a natural extension of our expertise. Ultimately we use boats as a vehicle for personal transformation, while knowing that there are many other types of programs that use different tools to do similar work. We hope that our approach can be useful for anyone that teaches through experience – whether they focus on boats or not.

What is Employment Focused Youth Development?

Youth development describes the process all youth experience as they progress from childhood to adulthood and acquire the social and physical as well as cognitive and emotional abilities required in adulthood. Youth Development programs seek to provide youth with support, guidance and mentorship as they engage in this challenging process.

Employment Focused Youth Development programs recognizes that a major component of preparing for adulthood involves preparing to join the working world. EFYD programs, consequently, have chosen the work setting as a highly effective context for providing youth with opportunities to develop socially, cognitively and emotionally. EFYD uses an experiential learning model in which a community of learners establishes group standards, prepares to engage in a project or task through instruction and group discussion, engages in the task or project, and then through guided discussion and direct feedback draws from the experience skills abilities and concepts that can be applied to subsequent challenges and situations. This experiential learning model provides the overall structure for the program as well as the structure for individual projects and tasks.

In EFYD programs the youth apply to the program, are interviewed and hired, and can be fired. Work standards are established and youth receive feedback form supervisors. A conscious effort is made to create a professional work environment. However, a greater level of support is provided. Youth are offered constructive feedback and multiple pathways to improve their performance.

Youth are also provided instruction in how to look for, apply for, and interview for jobs; as well as training in specific hard skills appropriate to the work setting, like wood working or gardening. Primary outcomes for EFYD programs are an increase in confidence and competence, increased ability to deal with challenging interpersonal situations, exposure to a broader set of opportunities, an increase in plans and goals for the future.

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Job Skills Program Manual Experiential Learning Experiential learning in many ways is the basis of all learning. Every human being begins life as an experiential learner. In infancy we learn how to live in this world through the experience of living and adjusting to the stimuli and feedback we receive as we interact with the world around us. It is only later when we have through direct experience developed language and other higher cognitive skills that we are able to develop new ways of learning. Consequently all people are innately equipped to respond to experientially oriented learning opportunities.

Beginning with Socrates, educators have worked to develop theories and techniques of experiential education. This process greatly accelerated in the late 19th century with the work of John Dewey and others and greatly expanded in the post war period through the educational philosophies of Kurt Hahn, Carl Rogers, Paulo Freire, Jean Piaget and others.

The Association for Experiential Education offers the following definition of experiential education: Experiential education is a philosophy that informs many methodologies, in which educators purposefully engage with learners in direct experience and focused reflection in order to increase knowledge, develop skills, clarify values, and develop people's capacity to contribute to their communities.

A Brief Introduction to the Job Skills Training Program The Job Skills Training Program is designed to help underserved young people (ages 16-22) build employment skills for a variety of careers – with a special focus on the maritime trades. In our program,

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Job Skills Program Manual crew members explore various skills and career pathways through field trips, guest speakers, and handson experience building and operating boats.

We have chosen to focus on employment skills primarily because there are a lot of excellent job opportunities in the maritime industry. Seattle’s maritime workforce is “greying out,” and needs skilled young workers to take their place. (See the appendix under “Community Needs Statement” for more statistics on employment needs). On the other end, the youth we work with need steady, well-paid jobs that don’t necessarily require a four-year college degree. Given our existing work with both youth and boats, the Center for Wooden Boats is in an excellent position to bridge that gap.

Program Structure at Cama Beach and South Lake Union The structure of our program varies slightly from campus to campus, though both share a common jobpreparation curriculum, general timeline, and core practices. At our Seattle-based South Lake Union campus, we generally focus most heavily on on-the-water skills that could lead to an entry-level job on a boat, while our program at our Cama Beach location on Camano Island focuses more heavily on boatbuilding. There are also significant differences in how we recruit crew members and work with our partners at both sites.

Our South Lake Union campus has easy access to the water, a larger cohort of students (8-12 per session), and currently shares a relatively small amount of space with a lot of other programs. Many of the students we work with are referred to us by a network of local schools and nonprofits – and continue to receive support from multiple agencies while they are here. Demographically speaking, most of our crew members are low-income youth of color and/or homeless, and many are no longer in school. In practice, we’ve found that both boat-building and on-the-water programs work well for this campus. We’ve shifted most of our focus to an on-the-water curriculum, however, because it offers a lot of concrete advantages to our students and partners without some of the logistical difficulties associated with boat-building on a crowded campus.

At Cama Beach, on the other hand, there are fewer students (4-6 per session) and water access can be difficult - making an on-the-water program unrealistic. The students we work with on this campus are generally referred to us through our partnership with one of the local schools, and often fall into a broader definition of underserved than our South Lake Union students. In general, our Cama Beach crew members have struggled in school but are not necessarily homeless or low-income. In keeping with the demographics of Camano Island in general, they are largely white. In total, the small size of this program makes it an especially good fit for a sustained boat-building project. Students have the space and attention they need to grow through such a project.

How to Use this Manual This document aims to cover the major aspects of our program. It is to be used in conjunction with several other documents, including the Job Skills Crew Member Notebook, Employment Skills Curriculum Handouts and Lesson Plans, and various other loose files (which can be found in the CWB file The Center for Wooden Boats

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Job Skills Program Manual system under Job Skills..\Templates. This particular document is titled “Job Skills Manual,” and it lives in Templates under the Curriculum folder). Where possible, files will be specifically linked and/or referred to for easy reference – so please make any necessary corrections to hyperlinks as you come across them!

As a general practice, you should also make and edit copies of each active document you are using.

Although there are some exceptions, the Templates folder should not contain year-specific information – instead, it is designed to cleanly and simply give staff documents they can modify year after year. As such, make any global edits that will need to be made in the Templates folder, but save year-to-year edits in a separate folder that is specific to each session (in the 2012 folder, for example).

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Job Skills Program Manual

Table of Contents Forward ......................................................................................................................................................... 3 Why Boats? .............................................................................................................................................. 3 What is Employment Focused Youth Development? .............................................................................. 4 Experiential Learning ............................................................................................................................... 5 A Brief Introduction to the Job Skills Training Program ........................................................................... 5 Program Structure at Cama Beach and South Lake Union ...................................................................... 6 How to Use this Manual ........................................................................................................................... 6 Introduction to Core Practices .................................................................................................................... 11 Meaningful Work ................................................................................................................................... 11 Interactive Learning ............................................................................................................................... 12 Accountability ........................................................................................................................................ 12 Shared Standards ................................................................................................................................ 13 Straight Talk ........................................................................................................................................ 13 The Standards and Violations Process ................................................................................................ 14 Crew Member Recruitment ........................................................................................................................ 15 Check-in with Partners ........................................................................................................................... 15 Managing Contact Information ........................................................................................................... 15 Creating New Partnerships ................................................................................................................. 16 Creating the Job Skills Calendar ............................................................................................................. 16 Update Recruitment Materials .............................................................................................................. 17 Re-Engage Partners ................................................................................................................................ 18 Conducting Recruitment Presentations ................................................................................................. 19 The Interview Event ............................................................................................................................... 19 Processing Applications ...................................................................................................................... 19 The Interview Event ............................................................................................................................ 20 Setting Up the Interview Event ........................................................................................................... 21 The Job Skills Curriculum ............................................................................................................................ 24 Boat-Building .......................................................................................................................................... 25

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Job Skills Program Manual On-the-Water Skills ................................................................................................................................ 25 The Employment Skills Curriculum ........................................................................................................ 25 The Saturday Speakers Program ......................................................................................................... 26 Evaluation Methods ............................................................................................................................... 27 The Youth Program Quality Initiative.................................................................................................. 27 Running the Job Skills Program ................................................................................................................... 28 Preparation ............................................................................................................................................ 28 The First Day........................................................................................................................................... 29 Graduation! ............................................................................................................................................ 29

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Job Skills Program Manual

Appendix Community Needs Statement ..................................................................................................................... 33 A Handy Guide to Recruitment Emails You Might Send ............................................................................. 34 Contacting a Potential New Partner ........................................................................................................... 34 Scheduling Recruitment Visits .................................................................................................................... 35 Reminder Email to Students ....................................................................................................................... 36 Organizing the Interview Event................................................................................................................... 37 Maritime Careers Primer ............................................................................................................................ 40 A Guide to Job Skills Forms ......................................................................................................................... 42 Before Students Begin............................................................................................................................ 42 As Forms Come In and Follow-Up: ......................................................................................................... 43 CWB Internship Legality Language.............................................................................................................. 44 Worker’s Compensation ............................................................................................................................. 46 Employment Regulations Reference........................................................................................................... 49 Notebook Guide .......................................................................................................................................... 53 Crew Member Notebook ....................................................................................................................... 53 Staff Notebook ....................................................................................................................................... 54 January 2013 Job Skills Update ................................................................................................................... 57 Job Skills Program Blurb .............................................................................................................................. 59 Job Skills Summary ...................................................................................................................................... 60 David’s Saturday Speakers Guide ............................................................................................................... 62

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“Identifying work that is necessary and challenging lays a foundation for meaningful labor. After the work is in place, you must help young people understand the relevance, shoulder the greatest amount of responsibility they can, and foster the development of relationships between all members of the community. When these three things are in place, a synergy develops and builds upon itself.” – Greg Gale, The Food Project (Boston, MA)

Introduction to Core Practices This section details the core practices of our programs at Cama Beach and South Lake Union. Whether we are painting a boat, writing resumes, or learning how to tie a bowline, both of our campuses share a concrete set of methods to ensure that the program runs smoothly. If we’re successful, these methods will also lay the groundwork for creating a deeper level of learning and personal transformation.

Meaningful Work Ultimately, our work depends on the ways that we engage students in labor that they find meaningful.

Traditional education systems often encourage competitiveness, make no time for reflection or integration, and prioritize certain outcomes rather than the explorative process. In contrast, we seek to create a space in which students are actively working together to support each other in reflection and growth. To do so, leaders need to keep in mind these questions at all times:

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Job Skills Program Manual 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Is the goal of the work clear and relevant?

Is there enough work for everyone in the group? How is teamwork fostered?

Are people trained well enough to succeed? Can people of all talents make a contribution?

How are people given responsibility?

What are people learning through their work?

Interactive Learning Inspire each other, do the work, and then process!

One of the core tenets is that people learn best by doing. This is especially true for our Job Skills program, where many of our participants have struggled in traditional classrooms. We want to catch ourselves whenever we move away from teaching through experience, action, and dialogue – especially when we find ourselves moving towards more traditional models of sitting, listening, and formal writing.

Since most of us are familiar with learning through traditional models, teaching in the same ways can be difficult to avoid. Our intention is to structure each lesson in ways that naturally help us to teach in an interactive way.

Therefore, when we create schedules and structures for each lesson, we make sure to budget at least 15 minutes at the beginning and end of each lesson for check-ins. This creates a natural transition time for students and it ensures that most of the session is spent actually doing hands-on work. It also ensures that students are able to engage fully with the work and each other. We value deepening relationships and the kind of reflection that allows youth to grow through their work.

Check-in activities at the beginning and end of the session have a slightly different emphasis. At the beginning of each session, emphasis is on bringing the group together and getting on the same page about the day’s work. Crew members who have had a difficult day can use this time to seek support, tell stories, or shed some of their stress before entering a new space and order. In general, check-in questions include some form of the question: “How are you doing today?” along with a fun activity or question. On the other hand, the end-of-day check-in emphasizes reflection. These activities should give students the opportunity to begin integrating the lessons they’ve learned in the session before they leave the community space. At Cama Beach, this often takes the form of “Highs and Lows,” where each student shares their favorite and least favorite parts of the day.

Accountability In order to create the kind of transformative learning environment we envision, we need a clear system of accountability for crew members. Without this essential piece, all of our ability to teach students to take responsibility for themselves and each other will disappear. Time and time again, we’ve heard of organizations that refuse to hold students accountable for their actions – often with the best of intentions. Such behavior allows students to internalize the idea that their actions don’t matter, and it ultimately endangers the entire community’s progress. Our program therefore uses a formal set of tools originally developed by staff at The Food Project, in Boston, MA. The Center for Wooden Boats

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Job Skills Program Manual Shared Standards The Job Skills program uses several major tools to hold students accountable for their actions in the program. At the beginning of the program, each student signs a Standards Agreement, which clearly defines the community’s standards as well as consequences for violating the terms of the standards. We then use the Violations Chart to monitor violations and explain their consequences. (These documents are found in the Job Skills Crew Member Notebook, which are printed and handed to students at the beginning of the program. Searching for the terms “Violations Chart” and “Standards Agreement” will allow you to find the respective pages for each document). Violations are assigned at the weekly Straight Talk sessions, which are explained below.

Straight Talk While the Standards Agreement and Violations Chart bring everyone onto the same page about what is expected, Straight Talk allows crew members to reflect on their actions and behavior. As with the concrete skills we teach, this progression (from orientation to action to reflection) allows for deeper transformation in our students. We do Straight Talk every week throughout each session.

In most forms of Straight Talk, the leader speaks honestly with each crew member in turn, letting them know where they have done well and where they can improve. The leader gives positive feedback, notes areas of improvement, and finally tells each student any violations they have incurred. It is important that leaders be very specific with feedback and set clear expectations at the beginning of each session.

For this reason, we prepare for each session of Straight Talk by making specific notes about each The Center for Wooden Boats

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Job Skills Program Manual student’s work. (You can use this Straight Talk Form to take notes after the end of each session. We recommend that you pre-write students’ names in the boxes and print out one sheet for each week.

Violations are tracked using the Violations Tracking Form). Doing Straight Talk in this way means that everyone is on the same page about what is working and what is not – allowing crew members to be more accountable to their effects on the community.

As we get further into the year, we also occasionally use other methods of Straight Talk. In SelfReflective Straight Talk, each student goes around and notes their own positives and changes for the week. Staff adds any relevant feedback – including violations – and then other students are invited to add positive feedback.

Straight-Talk-A-Palooza is a one-time special session of Straight Talk where all community members give each other concrete pieces of feedback about their performance throughout the entire program. A staff member starts by going around the circle and giving feedback to each individual, setting the tone for a positive, reflective session. Then each student is given the opportunity to give feedback to everyone else in the circle, including both students and staff. This is a rare opportunity for students to be able to offer deep constructive criticism to both peers and adults, and is a key culmination of our weekly Straight Talk sessions.

The Standards and Violations Process Used well, these systems create of equal expectations for the entire community, guide leaders in dealing with problems fairly, and stop negativity before it spreads. They also create a sense of safety and choice for individuals. Students’ who know the boundaries have the opportunity to take responsibility for their own choices while knowing that the process can deal effectively with those who are struggling. Below are the answers to some specific questions about the Standards and Violations process, from Growing Together: Why give Violations during Straight Talk and not at the time of the infraction? Imposing an immediate consequence puts you in charge of a student’s behavior, not them. Since the goal of our process is to have individuals take responsibility for their actions, we gently coach them about the effects of their actions in the moment without trying to micro-manage their behavior. This kind of coaching (“John, that’s not great role modeling”) lets youth know you want them to succeed, but that their behavior is ultimately their responsibility.

Do I really need to use the Tracking and Violations Charts? Excellent record-keeping builds trust and accountability into your role as a leader. If you are inconsistent or inaccurate, youth will become suspicious that they are not being treated fairly.

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Job Skills Program Manual

Crew Member Recruitment Crew member recruitment looks very different at our Cama Beach and South Lake Union locations. For our Cama Beach program, we rely almost exclusively on a strong partnership with the career and technical education teacher at Stanwood High School, Geri Prater. At South Lake Union, on the other hand, we recruit in collaboration with a large network of social service providers and schools. In general, however, our approach to recruitment at both locations follows a very similar trajectory.

Check-in with Partners The first step in recruiting at both sites is to make sure our strongest partners from last year are still on board with this year’s program. Key partners should definitely be in the loop about changes in the program and our general timeline – but make sure they have a chance to give feedback before the beginning of this year’s program. This is especially important at Cama Beach.

Managing Contact Information Prioritizing and updating contact information is one of the primary things you can do to help yourself and any future CWB employees recruit successfully. So be diligent about updating documents! Current contact information (and instructions on how to update it) is in the Excel document entitled Recruitment

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Job Skills Program Manual Organizer, which is in the Contact Info folder (Note that Cama Beach contact information is not in this document. Geri’s email is gprater@stanwood.wednet.edu, and she can be reached by phone at (360) 420-6542). As you begin each new session of Job Skills, review this document (instructions are on the “Checklist” tab), and update it as you go. Make sure to come back to this document once the interview is over, too! Copy and past all the data in your “Recruitment Log” tab into a new sheet, and label it with the year and season you are recruiting for. Then, review all of the information on the “Contact Info” tab, and update anything that is no longer current. Make sure to collaborate with Tyson in order to reprioritize contacts as well.

Creating New Partnerships Over the course of your time at CWB, you may learn about other programs that could potentially recruit students for Job Skills. Go ahead and start to develop relationships with these programs! (See the appendix for “A Handy Guide to Recruitment Emails You Might Send” which can give you a template email to a new partner. Also see the appendix for the “Maritime Careers Primer,” which may be a useful conversation starter for organizations that aren’t sure what the maritime industry is all about. A more student-directed brochure can be found in the Maritime Careers Resource Guide for Caseworkers folder, under the name “Maritime Careers Brochure”).

Creating the Job Skills Calendar Creating the Job Skills Calendar takes a little bit of tweaking - we need to make sure we have enough class time and staff availability at both sites. To do this, first gather the following information: 



School calendars. Using school calendars for Seattle Public Schools, Highline School District, Stanwood High School, and Lincoln Hill Alternative High School (easily found online), note the beginning of school, end of school, and various school holidays.

Relevant events or staffing details. This includes staff vacation or other commitments, events (like the Spaghetti Social at Cama Beach) that should be noted but will not necessarily change staffing patterns, and events (like the Annual Auction) that will mean that staff are completely unavailable for Job Skills on that day.

Note all of this information on a copy of the Calendar Template (located in the “Curriculm” tab of the Templates folder). The template is currently set up for use at only one site at a time, so make sure to save a copy for both South Lake Union and Cama Beach. Change the year listed on the template in the top left corner of the “Calendar” tab so that it reflects the current year. Then, spend some time entering in relevant dates to both visual and listed dates (found under the “List of Dates” tab.

Next, you’ll want to pick tentative dates. As you are picking, budget the overall hour allotment and make sure there’s enough time for boat-building, the AB program, Straight Talk, and the Employment Skills Curriculum. You can modify the last tab of the Calendar Template, under “Hours” to make these calculations easier on yourself.

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Job Skills Program Manual When you’re ready, make sure you’ve included the following dates on both list and visual calendars:       

Application Due Group Interview First Day of Job Skills SLU Overnight Trip Saturday Sessions Weekday Sessions Last Day

Finally, make sure to check in with all of the involved staff as well as key partners (especially at Cama Beach!) before finalizing your dates.

Update Recruitment Materials Updating recruitment materials should be a pretty simple matter – mostly it involves plugging in new dates to our application, recruitment brochure, presentation, and the website. Any changes in the curriculum or program should also be noted.

To update these documents, go to the Recruitment folder of the Job Skills folder. There, you will find two separate brochures for our respective programs at both Cama Beach and South Lake Union. For each, make sure to check that program dates, stipend, and contact information are updated in InDesign, then converted into a PDF file for printing and email distribution. For the Camano Island brochure, also double check that information about the boat we are building is updated.

South Lake Union and Cama Beach application packets will also need to be updated. To do this, open each respective application, save a copy, and then go to the “Review” tab of Microsoft Word. All of the changes you need to look out for should be highlighted in Track Changes. (If no markings are showing when you open the document, make sure that Word is set to show any changes. These options should be to the right of the “Track Changes” button. Consult Google if you need more specific instructions!)

Make sure to read the whole application, though – and change the template if any necessary changes have been overlooked! Once you go through and accept/reject all the changes you need to make, go ahead and save the application as a PDF – this is the version we send out to partners.

Finally, get familiar with the general format of our recruitment presentation, which can be found in the Recruitment folder under the name “Classroom Visit Agenda.” Make sure to change the important dates and times – as well as information about this session’s woodworking projects – for your copy of the document.

One thing to note: We are still trying to improve our recruitment presentations by thinking of ways to add more pictures and/or a hands-on activities. It’s hard to explain what we do here without physical or visual reference! We’ve recently added large pictures to our recruiting repertoire specifically to

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Job Skills Program Manual showcase what our boat-building and on-the-water activities can look like (there can be some confusion about exactly what kinds of boats we are working with), but be creative, try new things out, and document your results! Things we’ve tried include: PowerPoint presentations (which have been difficult to show at most of the sites we visit, and probably not worth the effort); bringing some tools to showcase boatbuilding (moderately successful); tying knots (often frustrating for students); and bringing Umiaq paddles to pass around (interesting but not essential).

Re-Engage Partners This is a very simple step for the Cama Beach Job Skills program – just call Geri and schedule a time to come talk to her class – but takes a little more coordination in Seattle. Here’s a general overview of what you should do: 



Email potential partners. This email should essentially say that we’re recruiting, give exact dates and updated recruitment materials, and ask if we can come do a presentation at their organization. (See the appendix for “

Scheduling Recruitment Visits,” which can give you a template).

Schedule recruitment presentations. If an organization is interested in hearing more about the program, we can either a) schedule a presentation at one of their staff meetings, or b) present directly to youth. This is where the vast majority of our students hear about the program, so it is

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Job Skills Program Manual very important!



Follow up by phone! Many of our partners are very busy people, so our recruitment efforts can fall through the cracks. Make sure to be very persistent with interested organizations!

Conducting Recruitment Presentations Recruitment presentations are a pretty simple matter – we tell students about our program, offer time for questions, and make sure to get their contact information if they are interested in participating.

Make sure to bring application materials, brochures, a classroom visit agenda (if you need it), large pictures to show, and a piece of paper for writing down names (you can find a good Recruitment Signup Sheet – plus template brochures and applications – in the Recruitment folder of Templates).

Our experience so far has showed that the key factor in successfully recruiting and retaining students is the investment of the adults around them. Program leaders and teachers have been essential in talking up the program, helping kids with their applications, and getting them to the interview event. Although there are some notable exceptions, most of our Crew Members may not have applied to the program without a lot of encouragement and help from the adults around them! Therefore, as you’re thinking about recruitment, spend most of your energy developing awesome relationships with program partners.

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Job Skills Program Manual Application Follow Up Once you’ve started to get some interest in the program, it’s time to follow up! Follow up with each student who wrote their name on the list (calling them is best, if possible), reminding them of the application and interview date and answering any questions they have. Make sure to check in with their teachers, too! Many students need a lot of support and encouragement to get their applications in on time!

The Interview Event The next major phase of recruitment involves getting ready for and conducting the interview event.

Once again, this event is much easier to manage on Camano Island – but many of the same basic steps apply. You will start by figuring out who to invite to the interview, recruiting staff and volunteers to help with the process – then you will run the event itself!

Processing Applications Once we’ve gotten each applicant’s materials, we put it all together and fill out an Application Assessment. This assessment serves several purposes: it helps us judge each candidate’s eligibility for the program, gives us a handy cover sheet for each application, and serves as a useful reminder about what each student’s circumstances and goals are.

At this point, we invite any eligible student to our interview event. (This may change if we start getting way more applicants than we can successful accommodate in a group interview – about 20 at South Lake Union and up to ten on Camano Island). As with the rest of the application process, it’s vitally important to follow up directly with students and their mentors once they’ve been invited to the interview. Make sure to talk through any potential barriers to their attendance to get the maximum possible turnout!

The Interview Event On Camano Island, the interview event consists very simply of a classroom visit and individual interviews, followed by a conversation with Geri. The South Lake Union interview event requires much more advanced planning, and will be detailed below. The night itself has two distinct parts: the individual interview and the candidate review.

During the first half, we conduct the candidate interviews, which consist of both an individual interview and a larger, group interview. These two formats will be conducted simultaneously and are overseen by CWB staff and volunteers. On fifteen minute intervals, four applicants are pulled out from the group interview for their one-on-one interview. Once the youth have finished their individual interviews, they will be filtered back into the group interview, with four new candidates leaving for one-on-one interviews. At the end of this process (which should take about an hour and a 45 minutes), the interview portion of the night will be finished.

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Job Skills Program Manual Once the Job Skills hopefuls have left CWB, the candidate review begins. All participating staff, volunteers, and alumni convene to provide summaries and assessments of the candidates they interviewed. This process should take an additional hour and a half. At the end of the night, we will be ready to call students back and let them know whether or not they should join us for the rest of the program!

Setting Up the Interview Event Running a successful interview event at South Lake Union takes a great deal of preparation. As you’re processing applications and reminding students about the details of the event, you also will want to start to reach out to CWB staff and volunteers. (See the appendix for “Job Skills Brochure & Application

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Organizing the Interview Event,” which has a couple of sample emails for organizing the interview event). Though Job Skills staff will run the event as a whole, you will need a good number of staff/volunteers to conduct individual interviews (generally we try to have two interviewers per student). It also would be a good idea to try and reach out to Job Skills alumni for this event – they are excellent ambassadors for the program and can contribute a lot of knowledge about who will do well in the program.

For the night of the event, you will also need to prepare group games, interview forms, and be ready to facilitate the candidate review process. You may also want to provide snacks for everyone. To prepare group games, familiarize yourself with this list. (Page numbers reference pages in Growing Together, which also contains a number of other excellent games). The leaders of group games will need to observe how well students work with each other in a group setting – this information will be used in the candidate review process.

For the individual interviews with students, make sure to print out two copies of the Crew Member Interview Form for each student application. You will also need to make sure to have about four separate interview spaces for students. (In the past, we’ve used the boat shop, inner and outer offices,

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Job Skills Program Manual outdoor classroom, and visiting boats like the Allure). Each interviewer should fill out all of the questions on the Crew Member Interview Form, taking a couple of minutes at the end of the time to evaluate each student.

The candidate review process takes place in the main office at the end of the night. To start, we put up all students’ names on a whiteboard, in order of highest to lowest scores. (These scores are taken from each pair’s scores from the individual interviews). Then, we start at the top of the list and discuss each student one-by-one, deciding in the process whether it makes sense for them to be accepted or not. We use a variety of different factors for this decision. Each interviewing pair gets a chance to point out concerns and/or highlights from their student’s application, and others chip in with observations about that student’s application, situation, or performance in group games. We try to balance a student’s need for our program with our ability to support them, and attempt also to have a fairly even mix of students of different genders and from different schools. As we continue down the list, it may become apparent that a student who received a high score won’t be a great fit for the program, or that one who receives a low score may be an excellent fit. Tweak the list until you’ve got a cohesive group – and then you’re ready to call up students and tell them the news!

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The Job Skills Curriculum In essence, the Job Skills Training Program is composed of a couple of separate curriculums. At both campuses, boat-building is interspersed with employment skills, Straight Talk, and whatever time the staff needs to evaluate the effectiveness of the program. South Lake Union students also must integrate on-the-water skills. All of these parts have an important role to play in helping crew members develop leadership and jobs skills!

For the most part, we’ve designated separate times for each of the distinct parts of the curriculum. In past sessions at Cama Beach, we’ve designated Thursdays for employment skills, evaluation, and Straight Talk and Saturdays for boat-building. At South Lake Union, we have spent Wednesdays doing employment skills, evaluation, and Straight Talk, Thursday on the water, and Saturdays alternating between boat-building and helping out in the livery. Saturdays at South Lake Union also often involve lunch speakers from the maritime industry. All of these parts are essential but flexible, so you may have

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Job Skills Program Manual to play around with the schedule a little bit! In the next couple of sections, you will find a brief overview of all of the curriculum parts.

Boat-Building Boat-building is an especially apt place for students to practice their skills in critical thinking, problem solving, communication, and collaboration. Building a boat requires hard skills in shaping and cutting wood, using composite materials, and reading plans. Building a boat with a team thus requires great flexibility and creativity as well as excellent visualization and problem-solving skills.

As a leader, the boat-building portion of the curriculum can be very stressful. As a project with a clear outcome, it is essential that we accomplish our goals (aka building a boat!) in the time allotted – meaning that it is helpful to have flexibility in our schedule for unforeseen complications. It is also essential to think about leadership and decision-making roles for various students. As we continue to develop our program, feel free to add any structures we come up with to aid in this process!

On-the-Water Skills The on-the-water curriculum at South Lake Union starts in earnest with a full overnight trip in the Longboat. This trip is an excellent way to set the tone for the entire program, so it’s important to plan well! Here’s what you need to do: 1. Send out a gear list. We provide sleeping bags and food, but students will need to bring their own warm clothes and personal supplies. Once you have written a good list, make sure and save it so that we can use it in future years!

2. Prepare the Longboat. Because the Long boat is a Coast Guard Inspected Vessel, we need special safety gear (including life vests). Tyson will know what is needed, but write it down for next time!

For the rest of the program, our curriculum roughly follows the course of a typical AB (Able Seaman) certification program. Many entry-level positions on seagoing vessels require an AB, so it is a huge asset for our youth to have this certification. Once again, documentation of this portion of the program is a bit sparse at this point, so make sure and write down what you’re doing!

The Employment Skills Curriculum Boat-building and on-the-water segments of the curriculum relate directly to our job-readiness curriculum. There are two separate but interrelated goals of this part of the curriculum. The first – and most obvious goal – is to give students the technical skills they need to move into a stable and productive career. These skills include fundamentals like money management, resume-writing, organizing a job search, etc. The second goal of the program is to help students understand, clarify, and articulate their own strengths. Through reflection on their experiences in the program and beyond, students will have the opportunity to explore various skills and career pathways while starting to take concrete and confident steps towards building their own future.

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Job Skills Program Manual To familiarize yourself with this part of the curriculum is, read through the Employment Skills Lesson Plans and the accompanying Employment Skills Curriculum Handouts. These documents should provide you everything you need to teach employment skills to crew members, but feel free to add and subtract as necessary! It is especially important to make sure you are checking in with students frequently on an individual basis. This will ensure that students continue to make progress towards defining and reaching their goals without getting stuck!

In addition, take a look at the resources in the Maritime Careers Resources Guide for Caseworkers folder (located under …\Job Skills). The Maritime Careers Brochure can help you get a quick idea of why maritime could be a good option for some students. The Maritime Careers Resource Guide (version 3) is a deeper look at some of the maritime careers that might be a good fit for students. Use it – and Tyson – to help connect interested students to the numerous free or low-cost training options that exist in the maritime trades.

The Saturday Speakers Program One key piece of our employment skills curriculum involves bringing in speakers from various segments of the maritime industry. These speakers allow our students to hear more about the industry (if they have interest) as well as reinforcing for everyone the need for the skills they are learning.

David’s Saturday Speakers Guide for more information about how to organize this!

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Job Skills Program Manual Evaluation Methods Evaluating the effectiveness of our program may seem like something we only do for funders, but it is also valuable internally in a couple of key ways. First, it gives us tools with which to improve our program – especially the Youth Program Quality Initiative (YPQI), which is explained below. Second, it allows us to make sure we’re accomplishing our goal of helping students develop essential workplace and leadership skills. And finally, it gives us an excellent opportunity to build relationships with students through individualized meetings and attention.

We use several different tools to evaluate our program. During program time, we have individual interviews with students at the beginning, middle, and end of the program. This dovetails nicely with our goals in the employment skills section of the curriculum, and helps us to measure each student’s subjective progress (in terms of self-image and confidence) as well as measure concrete changes in their life plans and behavior. To use these tools, print out a copy of the Job Skills Evaluations for each student and use them to guide your interviews.

To supplement this, we also observe and measure the effect of our program on concrete job – related behaviors. To do this, we use a tool that has been adapted from Rocking the Boat, an organization that builds boats with youth in Bronx. After the first and last weeks of the program, use the Observational Evaluation Rubric to score students on the scales described in the rubric. Make sure to track them! I recommend using your contact form to track students’ scores on both evaluations.

The Youth Program Quality Initiative To assess the effectiveness of our program as a whole, we use a tool called Youth Program Quality Initiative. This program, which is funded by the Raikes Foundation and administered by School’s Out Washington, focuses on strengthening the quality of our program using structured observations and research-based quality assessment tools. (See this site for more information about the program, or search for our partners online).

What does this mean? Essentially, we bring outside observers in to watch our program run. They take detailed notes about the things they see, focusing on how our program creates physical and emotional safety, teaches hard and soft skills, and builds leadership. We also bring in other youth department staff to observe the program, then sit down as a group to compare our findings. Using a tool provided by the program, we score our findings – enabling us to compare the effectiveness of our program across years and easily find areas of improvement.

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Running the Job Skills Program Hooray, you’re ready to start the program! You’ve got a good crop of students, you’ve mostly worked out all of the scheduling you need, and the first day is fast approaching! What now?

Preparation To set the stage for a successful program, you will need to take a couple of steps before students arrive.

First – and extremely importantly for South Lake Union – you must make sure all of our students have turned in the correct paperwork. (See “A Guide to Job Skills Forms” in the appendix for more details about how to do this in an organized fashion). Second, you will need to print out binders for each of the students. These binders include employment skills curriculum parts, a calendar, and various reference materials. You will also print out staff binders for both sites. See the

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Notebook Guide” section of the appendix for more detailed instructions on what needs to go in each binder.

Once you’ve got all of your materials ready to go, you’re essentially ready to teach! Of course, you will need to continue to think through how all the parts fit together and do some additional prep work as needed – but for the most part you’ve got everything you need.

The First Day The first day of Job Skills at South Lake Union starts with a longboat overnight, which is detailed more in the On-the-Water Skills portion of this document. On Camano Island, however, it is less likely that we’re able to start the experience with a long trip on the water. As such, it’s important to create a first day schedule that enables students to bond and get excited about the work ahead. An Example Day One Schedule can be found in the Staff Binder Additions section of Templates.

Graduation!

In general, the Job Skills graduation event is a pretty informal affair, and can be planned in collaboration with students. There are a couple of common elements to each event, however:

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Job Skills Program Manual 1. Food. At South Lake Union, Judie Romeo will often provide a good spread of food; at Cama Beach we can use on of the grills in the park. You will want to coordinate a bit in advance to make sure everything is all set for the day of.

2. Guests. At both campuses we try and invite family members and/or friends to come to graduation. Sometimes we have formal invitations for this process; sometimes we just remind students to ask their people to come.

3. Boats. If we’ve built a boat, this is a great day for it to go in the water! If not (or even if so!) this is a great day to spend on the water – and to take guests on the water as well.

4. Speeches. We often ask students to write brief speeches about their experience in the program for the ceremony itself. This is a really cool way for students to reflect about and own what they’ve done in the program. Staff also gets a chance to speak about each student in turn, which is an excellent opportunity to recognize students publicly for the qualities they’ve brought to the program.

5. Certificates. During the graduation ceremony, we present each student with a certificate that contains the number of hours they’ve been trained in various job skills. Sample certificates can be found in the Graduation folder – one for Cama Beach and one for South Lake Union.

Congratulations! You’ve successfully completed an entire session of the Job Skills Training Program!

Make sure to schedule a meeting with all involved staff to reflect on any changes that need to be made, and make any necessary changes or additions to any of the templates!

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APPENDIX

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Community Needs Statement Underserved and economically disadvantaged youth face a number of challenges as they transition from high school to the workforce – whether they start to work directly or after additional vocational or academic training. These challenges include staying in school and attaining a high school diploma or GED; accessing financial aid resources and applying for vocational programs or college; and building their awareness of their various career options. For these youth, it is also increasingly difficult to get a first job and to begin establishing a positive work history. The Job Skills Training Program is designed to address many of these challenges. Our employment skills curriculum engages youth in planning for and getting the support they need to find a good job out of high school, and our boat building and on-thewater training allows youth to build a positive work history and habits.

Among adults over 25, federal statistics show that rates of employment are lower for groups with lower educational attainment. (See http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t04.htm). It’s also clear from federal review that among 16 to 24 year olds, unemployment remains extremely high (http://www.bls.gov/news.release/youth.t01.htm). In Washington State, reports to the legislature show that our young adults experience the highest unemployment and the greatest difficulty of any age group in getting a job and keeping it. (The full legislative report can be found at (http://www.wtb.wa.gov/Documents/WantedWorkExperienceForYoungAdults.pdf). These young people routinely experience unemployment rates that range above two times the rate experienced by other workers. Furthermore, the unemployment rate for young adults who live in economically disadvantaged households was 30 percent in 2010, compared to 18 percent for youth from higher income households.

We also have reviewed research that shows that practically every opportunity in your life can flow from the education level you achieve. (http://www.bls.gov/emp/ep_chart_001.htm) Income level, obesity, low birth weight, and smoking rates are all impacted in some way by education. The Job Skills Training Program requires that students stay in school - and provides mentorship and support to make sure that students can indeed accomplish this goal. Through this process, the program helps those in these targeted demographics succeed academically and in career preparation.

(last updated Jan 2013)

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A Handy Guide to Recruitment Emails You Might Send And phone calls you might make, too!

Hello Job Skills Recruiter!

Congratulations on starting this process of recruiting students for Job Skills at South Lake Union! It’s a doozy of a process, but a great way to get to know lots of great youth and team up with a bunch of amazing local organizations. Have fun!

This document should give you a set of sample emails that you can mold to your own purposes throughout the process, and is generally organized according to where you are in the process.

Contacting a Potential New Partner Email Template: Dear _____, Greetings! My name is ____, and I’m writing on behalf of the Job Skills program at the Center for Wooden Boats. We’re interested in partnering with your organization to work with youth who might be interested in maritime careers, and we’d love to follow-up with a quick phone call to see if it might be a good fit.

Our program is essentially a pre-apprenticeship program that introduces underserved young people to a variety of maritime skills and careers. We also work with students to help them set and achieve goals for school, job and beyond. (More information can be found here: http://www.cwb.org/jobskills).

We would love to talk to you more about our program and the ways that we might partner! If this seems like something you might be interested in, let us know and we’ll follow-up by phone in the next couple of days. What would be a good time for you to have a brief ten-minute conversation?

Thank you very much!

Phone Script: 

Brief description of program structure and possible ways to partner o Possible Partnership Opportunities:  Describe partnership with YouthCare. They refer youth and provide services that we can’t (help finding housing, case management). We provide a supportive and structured program that provides inspiration and opens up various opportunities for youth.

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 Some youth internships are funded through WIA partnership w/ other orgs.

Does it seem like a good fit?  Ask for their ideas about the program and how they envision plugging in?  What are next steps?

Scheduling Recruitment Visits Email Template: Hello Southeast Youth and Family Services-My name is David Mondello, and I’m writing on behalf of the Job Skills Program at The Center for Wooden Boats. We’re interested in talking with you to learn if the youth you serve might be curious about spending some time on and around the water. While our program specifically addresses career opportunities and skill sets relevant to the maritime industry, it also includes in the curriculum basic employment skills that can be applied to jobs in any field. Throughout the course, we work with students to help them set and achieve goals for school, jobs, and life after the program (more information can be found here and here).

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Job Skills Program Manual We are now actively beginning the recruitment process for the spring session of our program, which starts on March 9th. Attached is an informational brochure about the program as well as the application, which is due back to us here at CWB no later than February 18th. Please pass these documents along to anyone whom you think might be interested in applying. If you have any questions after looking over the brochure, feel free to send me an email.

Attachments: Job Skills Brochure & Application

Phone Script:   

Did you get the email with our materials?

We find that the most effective way to reach out to students is to come do a presentation directly. Could we come do a presentation at your site?

Scheduling follow-up. When is good? Do you have any questions? What’s the best contact info for you?

Reminder Email to Students Email Template 1: Hello All-My name is David Mondello, and I work at The Center for Wooden Boats. I’m writing you because at some point over the last month you had expressed interest in applying to our Job Skills program. In case you need an extra copy, the application is attached to this email. Also attached is the informational brochure. If you need a reminder about the details and structure of the program, the brochure offers a quick overview.

Below are some important, upcoming dates to keep in mind: ---Applications are due on February 18th ---If you are selected for the interview, you must be available at 6:00PM on February 25th ---The first class is March 9th Since the applications are due in less than one month, if you have not already asked someone to write you a letter of reference, I suggest you do so ASAP in order to give your letter writer an adequate amount of time to compose a thoughtful recommendation.

Thanks for your interest in our program. I look forward to reading through your applications.

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Job Skills Program Manual If you have questions, feel free to send me an email or give me a call. Alternatively, you can stop by The Center for Wooden Boats. Every Sunday we offer free boat rides, which serve as great opportunities to see if you might like spending time on the water.

Attachments: Job Skills Brochure & Application

Organizing the Interview Event Email Template 1: Initial Email to Staff Hello All-As Tyson mentioned at last week’s staff meeting, the spring session of job skills is fast approaching.

Before we begin the program, we must first select the new crew members. In order to ensure we get the best batch of kids, we’d like to enlist your help with the interview process, which will take place on Monday, February 25th at 6:00 PM.

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Job Skills Program Manual For those not yet familiar with the format, the night, as far as your potential duties are concerned, will have two distinct parts: the individual interview and the candidate review.

During the first half, we will conduct the candidate interviews, which will consist of both an individual interview and a larger, group interview. These two formats will be conducted simultaneously.

On fifteen minute intervals, four applicants will be pulled out from the group interview (led by Chris, Ruth and myself in the gallery) and whisked away to partake in a one-on-one interview, which will be overseen by CWB staff. Once the youth have finished their individual interviews, they will be filtered back into the group interview, with four new candidates leaving for one-on-one interviews. At the end of this process (which should take about an hour and a 45 minutes), the interview portion of the night will be finished.

Once the job skills hopefuls have left CWB, the candidate review will begin. All participating staff members will convene to provide summaries and assessments of the candidates they interviewed. This process should take an additional hour and a half, meaning the evening should come to an end around 9:15 PM. If you have any questions about how the event played out last year, please talk to Tyson or Chris as they were the orchestrators of last year’s festivities. Feel free to send me an email if you have questions related to this year’s interview. My understanding is that this event is a lot of fun and gives staff an opportunity to provide feedback on individuals who will become very present members of the CWB community for at least a three month period---hopefully, much longer. So, if you’re available and would like to have your voice heard concerning the next group of youth to participate in the job skills program, we would welcome and appreciate your participation in the candidate selection process.

Thanks.

Email Template 2: Reminder Email to Staff Hello all-The Job Skills Interview Event will be taking place here at CWB on February 25th from 6:00-9:30PM. That’s not this Monday but the following Monday. You should come. It will be a fun evening---with snacks---and will give you an opportunity to help select the next batch of Crew Members, a task in which the youth department would very much appreciate your participation.

If you have any questions, let me know.

Hope to see you there,

Phone Script 1: Inviting a Student to the Interview Hi, this is ______ from the Center for Wooden Boats. Is this ________?

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Job Skills Program Manual I’m calling to let you know we got your application for Job Skills and wanted to invite you to come in for an interview (details – date, time, things to bring). Do you think you’ll be able to make it? Do you have any questions or concerns? Congratulations and we look forward to seeing you!

Phone Script 2: Reminding a Student to come to the Interview Hi, this is ______ from the Center for Wooden Boats. Is this ________?

Hi _______. Just wanted to remind you that the Job Skills program interview is (details, for example: “this Monday at 6pm”). We’d love to have you there and wanted to make sure you’ll be able to make it!

Have you figured out how you’re going to get here? Do you have any questions or concerns? We’re looking forward to seeing you!

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Job Skills Program Manual

Maritime Careers Primer Areas of Industry Sea-Based Careers The three main departments of a workboat are the deck, the engine room and the galley. On the deck, officers lead the crew of the ship. In the engine room, engineers and others maintain all mechanical and electrical aspects of ship. In the galley—the kitchen—the chief steward and others care for the crew.    

 

Shipping & Transportation (Container ships, cargo workboats, tankers, supply vessels, etc.)

Commercial Fishing (Some of the most challenging and dangerous work in the industry) Cruises & Ferries (The Washington State Ferry system is the largest in the US) Offshore Operations (Includes any work done at sea on platforms—most notably, drilling for oil.

The platforms are similar to land-based factories, except that ships are used alongside for various tasks – like laying cables, bringing in supplies, and cleaning up spills) Government Operations (Includes the U.S. Navy, port police, rescue services, military sealift command, and the U.S. Coast Guard, which enforces maritime law and assists in emergencies) Science and Research (Scientific organizations like NOAA study weather and other ecological patterns, including the effects of fishing and other human activity)

Land-Based Careers   

Shipbuilding and Repair (This area of the industry includes not only the engineering, design and construction of new vessels, but ship repair as well.)

Port Operations (Port activities include cargo and passenger loading, unloading and distribution; port security; tugboat guidance; spill cleanup and more.)

Shore-Based Crossover Positions (Many people have to do business with the maritime industry, including lawyers, scientists, warehouse workers, etc.

Training Needed Getting started and moving up in the maritime industry can be very different from other industries, especially water-based work. Many people start from: • • • •

A maritime training program or academy An entry-level job An apprenticeship Pre-existing skills, for example as an electrician or IT specialist

From there, workers move up based on experience, additional training or specializing and, for sea-based jobs, hours logged out on the water.

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Job Skills Program Manual Example Paths Deck Employee for WSDOT Ferries Division – Hiring is done through the Inland Boatmen’s Union (IBU), which requires a Merchant Mariners Document (MMD) and a TWIC (Transportation Worker’s Identification Credential) - both identification/security documents. The IBU has some entry level positions available, and also refers applicants to the Tongue Point Seamanship Program in Oregon, where students receive free housing and tuition and are qualified with an Able-Bodied Seaman document by the end of the program. All WSDOT positions are entry level, on-call and last only through the summer season. As you build seniority, you will be called back earlier each year and work longer until you are working full-time (this usually takes three to four years or longer).

Deck Department

Engineering Department

Steward’s Department

Ordinary Seaman (Entry Level – Only need MMD & TWIC Card) Able Seaman (Certification requires a certain number of hours’ experience – depending on the specific license needed – and passing a practical test) Boatswain (Requires further experience and testing)

Wiper (Entry Level)

Steward’s Assistant (Entry Level – Needs MMD)

Qualified Member of the Engineering Department (Must pass QMED General Knowledge Examination as well as at least one specialized test for specific systems, like refrigeration or fireman) Oiler (Requires further experience and testing)

Third Mate / Officer (Some training programs can lead directly to this certification) Second Mate / Officer

Junior Engineer

Chief Cook (Unlicensed position – may require specialized training and/or a certain amount of experience) Chief Steward (Requires further experience and testing) Purser (Ship’s supplier – Requires administrative and logistics training)

Chief Mate / Officer Captain

Third Engineer (Some maritime academies prepare mariners directly for this position) Second Engineer Chief Engineer

Who’s the Right Kid? 

Has a strong interest in the program, maritime careers, or going to sea.



Likes to work with their hands.



Ability to adapt to rapidly changing situations.



Going towards a GED (most positions in the industry will require this).



No DUIs or drug offenses on their record. These convictions will make it hard for youth to get most maritime jobs – they won’t be able to get a MMD or TWIC card without having to jump through extensive hurdles. It is possible to jump through those hurdles, but difficult and timeconsuming.

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A Guide to Job Skills Forms 

Paperwork is a necessary and slightly painful aspect of the first couple of weeks of the Job Skills Training Program. In 2013, we were paying our students a stipend ($75/week), and so some of our paperwork reflects the legal/tax implications of the fact that our crew members were not employees. (For more information on the legal justification for our decision, please see the appendix document entitled “

CWB Internship Legality Language”). If we ever change back to a minimum wage model, keep in mind that we will also need to add a direct deposit form to the mix and change the W-9 to a W-4.

Before Students Begin ☐Make a file for each student (you can put their application in this file) ☐If you haven’t already created a sheet with contact information for all of your students, create one!

Create a column where you can track whether a student has turned in all the necessary forms, too – and one where you can check off if staff have followed up to the extent they need. ☐Check over the Job Skills forms needed (below) and make sure that all the appropriate forms are included. Make sure the offer letter is up-to-date. ☐Find/print copies of the following forms for each student:    

  

☐WA State Patrol Background Check (look in CWB’s new hire/personnel file first). ☐Emergency Contact Form (see page two of Day One Paperwork). ☐Liability Form (see page three of Day One Paperwork). ☐Parent-School Authorization (for students under 18 on Camano Island). Print both sides of the form, and fill in any information the students may not know. Make sure to sign it on the back side – students need to sign it, fill it out, and give it to their parents. Find this form here, or check on the L&I website to make sure you have the most current form. ☐I-9 Form, including appropriate identification (look in CWB’s new hire/personnel file first, then try the internet). This form gets updated every year, so make sure you have a current form. ☐W-9 Form (look in CWB’s new hire/personnel file first, then try the internet). This form gets updated often. ☐Offer Letter (find it in the Paperwork folder of Templates, under the name Offer Letter with Benefits). Before you print out any letters, check dates, contact information, and stipend information. You also will need to personalize each letter by replacing the work “Student” with each Student’s name.

☐Print out a two copies of the Job Skills Forms Checklist (page one of Day One Paperwork – so you can print two copies for every student) and put them in each student’s folder with their forms.

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Job Skills Program Manual ☐(At SLU) Set a time to meet with each student individually before the program begins. Spend some time going through the paperwork and make sure each student understands what is needed. Send them home with the forms they need and a checklist. ☐(At Cama) Bring forms to the first day of Job Skills and go over what is needed with students. Send them home with a set of forms.

It’s important (especially at SLU) that we have Emergency Contact and Liability Forms pretty quickly, so make sure to get those before the overnight!

As Forms Come In and Follow-Up:  

 





Use your checklist to track whether each student has completely filled out the necessary forms.

Keep a copy and give a copy to them to help them keep track of forms.

For I-9 Forms – Check to make sure each student’s ID corresponds with the necessary types of ID, and fill out the Employer section for each student. Make a copy of each student’s IDs and put them in that student’s folder.

W-9 forms – SSNs need to get to Andrea (or whoever is the bookkeeper) so that she can send the students 1099 forms – put them in her mailbox and let her know what’s up.

Make a copy of Emergency Contact forms for the staff binder (probably not as necessary for South Lake Union because we have forms in the office, but definitely a good idea at Cama. We probably should copy liability forms, too, in case we have to go to the emergency room with a student).

For Parent-School Authorization Forms, you will need signatures from parents and from the students’ school. Once you have both of these, the form will need to live in a file at Cama Beach in case of audit.

Paychecks – follow up w/ Andrea to make sure checks get cut on time, etc. Once you’ve set program dates, I recommend that you set some alarms in your email to make sure you are completely on top of paychecks. This can easily slip through the cracks once the program has begun, and many of our students rely on them!

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Job Skills Program Manual

CWB Internship Legality Language Please find below a summary of CWB’s student trainee policy, including L&I and Employment Security Department rulings that students participating in the program are exempt from L&I payroll taxes and ESD unemployment insurance payments.

As part of the Center for Wooden Boats’ Job Skills Training Program, Crew Members are provided a weekly stipend for their participation. Camano Island students also earn high school credit for their work. The educational model is Youth Build at the New Market Vocational Skills Center and the GRuB School Program in Olympia, WA.

*This document is adapted from a legal opinion from the State of California, which can be found here.

When interns do not need to be paid minimum wage The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requires that an internship must satisfy all the following criteria to be exempt from the FLSA: 1. The training, even though it includes actual operation of the facilities of the employer, is similar to what would be given in a vocational school or academic educational instruction. The training offered

by CWB includes practical maritime skills as well as basic job skills. Although much of the training is conducted using CWB’s facilities, the course is similar to other courses offered at local nonprofits and community colleges. The skills covered in the job skills portion of the training include resume and coverletter writing, individual discipline, and public presentation and speaking. These skills are similar to those taught at other vocational schools and job training programs in the greater Seattle area. The maritime skills portion of our program includes on-the-water skills in power, sail, and row boats; boat maintenance; and on-the-dock skills. The curriculum overlaps significantly with various courses offered

by Coast Guard Certified AB and/or Lifeboatman programs.

2. The training is for the benefit of the trainees. The education program serves young adults who have not progressed beyond a high school diploma or GED certificate. Its core objectives are the development of basic job skills as well as technical training in the maritime field. To that end, the internship provides each intern with up to 12 hours of training per week. During the internship, the Job Skills Program also continues to provide career readiness resources such as advisors, social workers, guest speakers, and assistance with applications. Some of these services are through partnerships with other social service organizations.

The internship phase of the program provides for both observation and application of classroom instruction for the young adult interns to succeed in a maritime (or other) vocation. The training activities are tied to the core components of the curriculum, and predominately benefit the interns.

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Job Skills Program Manual 3. The trainees do not displace regular employees, but work under their close observation. For the first part of their internship, the trainees will be supervised by Tyson Trudel, Youth Programs Manager; Chris Maccini, Youth Educator; and David Mondello, Crew Member Support Lead (an AmeriCorps position). As their understanding and experience deepens, the trainees will continue to be supervised and supported by these employees while learning more specific skills from the CWB employees who currently manage our livery, boat shop, and field trip programs.

The educational goals of our program include exposure to real world working environments, and the activities performed are not an integral part of the activities through which CWB derives economic benefit. The actual role of each trainee does not require substantial independent work, and each will be closely supervised as described above.

4. The employer that provides the training derives no immediate advantage from the activities of the trainees, and on occasion the employer's operations may actually be impeded. The Department of Labor his indicated that where the “predominant benefit” is to the student, no employment relationship will exist. (DOL Ols 7/7/77, 3/13/95) Although the Center derives some benefit from the activities of the trainees (such as incidental boat maintenance and program delivery), this is offset by the substantial supervision provided.

In addition, according to the definition posed here by the California Department of Industrial Relations, CWB receives no immediate benefit from the training. Due to the trainees’ inexperience, any perceived benefit received by the Center is not likely realized until the latter part of the internship. Further, any such limited benefit is counterbalanced by impediments to the center’s operations in both time and economic costs. Since the trainees are substantially supervised throughout and never assume the duties of regular workers, any advantage accrued by the Center is not immediate.

5. The trainees are not necessarily entitled to a job at the conclusion of the training period; and The trainees may be able to extend their skills internships after the conclusion of the training intensive, but they will not be entitled to a job at the conclusion of the training period. CWB will require participants to sign an acceptance form for both phases of the program, expressly saying that an internship is not guaranteed and that the interns are not necessarily entitled to a position at CWB after the completion of the term.

6. The employer and the trainees understand that the trainees are not entitled to wages for the time spent in training. Our advertising and outreach materials will clearly state that trainees are not entitled to wages for the time they spend in training. Furthermore, CWB will require participants to sign a form stating that they are not entitled to wages for the time spent in training.

The above language is clear with regard to payment of wages, but the intern will receive an educational stipend during their internship. This stipend serves two purposes: 1) to help cover living expenses and 2) as a behavior modification tool where points are lost for violations of an established code of conduct. It is intended to allow students from underserved backgrounds to learn on a full-time basis.

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Job Skills Program Manual The Department of Labor has noted in opinion letters that “the payment of a stipend to the interns does not create an employment relationship under the FLSA as long as it does not exceed the reasonable approximation of the expenses incurred by the interns involved in the program. (DOL OLs 5/8/96,7/17/95.)

Worker’s Compensation According to the Department of Labor and Industries, CWB must pay worker’s compensation for its students.

RECORD OF CORRESPONDENCE WITH L&I From: Moder, Debra (LNI) [mailto:MORE235@LNI.WA.GOV] Sent: Tuesday, March 26, 2013 12:22 PM To: Ruth Sawyer

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Job Skills Program Manual Subject: RE: L&I Student Learner Variance Question and Availability - Center for Wooden Boats, Camano Island Reimbursement is for cost of gas, food, housing etc. the student had to pay and the school is paying them back. Wage is paid for joining the program which they can use the money anyway they want.

Debra Moder- Account Manager Industrial Insurance Underwriter 3/Team Lead Department of Labor & Industries-Employer Services 7273 Linderson way SW / PO Box 44163 / Olympia, WA 98504-4163 Phone (360)902-5598 Fax (360)902-4633 / more235@lni.wa.gov From: Ruth Sawyer [mailto:rsawyer@cwb.org] Sent: Tuesday, March 26, 2013 11:35 AM To: Moder, Debra (LNI) Subject: RE: L&I Student Learner Variance Question and Availability - Center for Wooden Boats, Camano Island Hi Debra, What defines a payment as “for reimbursement” versus as a wage? Our stipend is envisioned as a way to reimburse students for the costs they incur to participate in our program (including transportation and equipment costs), and I’m unclear what your agencies’ definition of these two terms is. As I said, we are planning to cover the students as employees going forward, but I want to make sure we’re doing this appropriately throughout.

From: Moder, Debra (LNI) [mailto:MORE235@LNI.WA.GOV] Sent: Tuesday, March 19, 2013 1:18 PM To: Ruth Sawyer Subject: RE: L&I Student Learner Variance Question and Availability - Center for Wooden Boats, Camano Island You have listed State and Federal RCW’s. I only work with Workers Compensation RCW 51.12-035 for volunteers 50.44 is unemployment’s 49.46 Employment Standards-minimum wage.

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Job Skills Program Manual You stated in this email that you are paying these students $75.00 which is not for reimbursement. They are paid to take this claim. That is not covered as a volunteer for Workers Compensation.

Form F213-023-000

Student Volunteers and Workers’ Compensation Coverage Who is eligible for coverage?

An employer may opt to provide workers’ compensation coverage for student volunteers enrolled in a public school, grades K-12, who work as a volunteer under a program authorized by the public school (see RCW 28A.150.010 for the definition of “public school”). Student volunteers are eligible for coverage even if they receive reimbursement for expenses.

But if they receive a wage they are not considered a volunteer any longer.

Grub did not pay the students a wage so they were able to cover these students as volunteers.

From: Ruth Sawyer [mailto:rsawyer@cwb.org] Sent: Wednesday, March 13, 2013 5:43 PM To: Moder, Debra (LNI) Subject: RE: L&I Student Learner Variance Question and Availability - Center for Wooden Boats, Camano Island Thanks for your clarification. We will cover the students as we would the rest of our employees going forward.

I’d like a bit more information on the point about our program being fundamentally different than the GRuB program. We have been pointed to RCW 50.44.040, Section 8, which describes services excluded under “employment” for certain purposes. Section 8 says that the term “employment” shall not include services performed: (8) By an individual under the age of twenty-two who is enrolled at a nonprofit or public educational institution which normally maintains a regular faculty and curriculum and normally has a regularly organized body of students in attendance at the place where its educational activities are carried on as a student in a full time program, taken for credit at such institution, which combines academic instruction with work experience, if such service is an integral part of such program, and such institution has so certified to the employee, except that this subsection shall not apply to service performed in a program established for or on behalf of an employer or group of employers We are a nonprofit that has a regular facility and curriculum, and our students get credit through their high schools. Given this information, it’s not clear to me what the differences are between wages and

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Job Skills Program Manual reimbursements, and how this affects the employment relationship we have with our students. Can you clarify a bit more how you are defining what a wage is? I’m not sure where the line is between what is officially designated as a wage versus a reimbursement.

From: Moder, Debra (LNI) [mailto:MORE235@LNI.WA.GOV] Sent: Wednesday, March 13, 2013 10:41 AM To: Ruth Sawyer Subject: RE: L&I Student Learner Variance Question and Availability - Center for Wooden Boats, Camano Island These students do not fall under the exempt coverage for Workers Compensation due to they are being paid a wage, which is not based on reimbursement. The information you provided below from Grub is a separate origination that was exempt due to they do not actually paid a wage they do a reimbursement, which back in July 2011 had been determined based on the information they provided to the department so they were able to sign up for volunteer coverage. I understand that Grub is assisting you on this program but again they are not completely operating the same as your organization. I had another business that was being assisted by Grub and they were not operating the same also and it had been determined that not the same situation applies.

Since these students are being paid a wage then Workers Compensation does not considered them volunteers.

Employment Regulations Reference MINIMUM WAGE ACT Chapter 49.46 RCW RCW 49.46.060 - Exceptions for learners, apprentices, messengers, disabled.

The director, to the extent necessary in order to prevent curtailment of opportunities for employment, shall by regulations provide for (1) the employment of learners, of apprentices, and of messengers employed primarily in delivering letters and messages, under special certificates issued pursuant to regulations of the director, at such wages lower than the minimum wage applicable under RCW 49.46.020 and subject to such limitations as to time, number, proportion, and length of service as the director shall prescribe, and (2) the employment of individuals whose earning capacity is impaired by age or physical or mental deficiency or injury, under special certificates issued by the director, at such wages lower than the minimum wage applicable under RCW 49.46.020 and for such period as shall be fixed in such certificates.

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[1959 c 294 § 6.] RCW 49.46.065 Individual volunteering labor to state or local governmental agency — Amount reimbursed for expenses or received as nominal compensation not deemed salary for rendering services or affecting public retirement rights.

When an individual volunteers his or her labor to a state or local governmental body or agency and receives pursuant to a statute or policy or an ordinance or resolution adopted by or applicable to the state or local governmental body or agency reimbursement in lieu of compensation at a nominal rate for normally incurred expenses or receives a nominal amount of compensation per unit of voluntary service rendered such reimbursement or compensation shall not be deemed a salary for the rendering of services or for purposes of granting, affecting or adding to any qualification, entitlement or benefit rights under any state, local government or publicly supported retirement system other than that provided under chapter 41.24 RCW.

RECORD OF CORRESPONDENCE WITH EMPLOYMENT SECURITY DEPARTMENT (GRuB) Justin Umholtz spoke with Bill Hagen, ESD Status Department (360-902-9374) on July 25, 2011, . Based on our conversation he believes GRuB youth are exempt from unemployment insurance payments. He referenced RCW 50.44.040 Section 8.

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Job Skills Program Manual RCW 50.44.040 - Services excluded under "employment" for certain purposes.

The term "employment" as used in RCW 50.44.010, 50.44.020, and 50.44.030 shall not include service performed: (1) In the employ of (a) a church or convention or association of churches, or (b) an organization which is operated primarily for religious purposes and which is operated, supervised, controlled, or principally supported by a church or convention or association of churches; however, the employer shall notify its employees as required by RCW 50.44.045; or (2) By a duly ordained, commissioned, or licensed minister of a church in the exercise of his or her ministry or by a member of a religious order in the exercise of duties required by such order; or (3) In a facility conducted for the purpose of carrying out a program of (a) rehabilitation for individuals whose earning capacity is impaired by age or physical or mental deficiency or injury, or (b) providing remunerative work for individuals who because of their impaired physical or mental capacity cannot be readily absorbed in the competitive labor market, by an individual receiving such rehabilitation or remunerative work; or (4) As part of an unemployment work-relief or work-training program assisted or financed in whole or in part by a federal agency or an agency of a state or political subdivision thereof, by an individual receiving such work-relief or work-training; or (5) For a custodial or penal institution by an inmate of the custodial or penal institution; or (6) In the employ of a hospital, if such service is performed by a patient of such hospital; or (7) In the employ of a school, college, or university, if such service is performed (a) by a student who is enrolled and is regularly attending classes at such school, college, or university, or (b) by the spouse of such a student, if such spouse is advised, at the time such spouse commences to perform such service, that (i) the employment of such spouse to perform such service is provided under a program to provide financial assistance to such student by such school, college, or university, and (ii) such employment will not be covered by any program of unemployment insurance; or (8) By an individual under the age of twenty-two who is enrolled at a nonprofit or public educational institution which normally maintains a regular faculty and curriculum and normally has a regularly organized body of students in attendance at the place where its educational activities are carried on as a student in a full time program, taken for credit at such institution, which combines academic instruction with work experience, if such service is an integral part of such program, and such institution has so certified to the employee, except that this subsection shall not apply to service performed in a program established for or on behalf of an employer or group of employers; or (9) In the employ of a nongovernmental preschool which is devoted exclusively to the area of child development training of preschool age children through an established curriculum of formal classroom or laboratory instruction which did not employ four or more individuals on each of some twenty days The Center for Wooden Boats

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Job Skills Program Manual during the calendar year or the preceding calendar year, each day being in a different calendar week; or (10) In the employ of the state or any of its instrumentalities or political subdivisions of this state in any of its instrumentalities by an individual in the exercise of duties: (a) As an elected official; (b) As a member of the national guard or air national guard; or (c) In a policymaking position the performance of the duties of which ordinarily do not require more than eight hours per week.

[2010 c 8 § 13042; 2007 c 386 § 1; 1977 ex.s. c 292 § 17; 1975 1st ex.s. c 67 § 1; 1975 c 4 § 1; 1973 c 73 § 9; 1971 c 3 § 21.]

Notes: Effective dates -- 1977 ex.s. c 292: See note following RCW 50.04.116.

Effective dates -- 1973 c 73: See note following RCW 50.04.030.

Exemption from unemployment compensation coverage conservation corps members: RCW 43.220.170.

Washington Service Corps enrollees: RCW 50.65.120.

RECORD OF CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE IRS (GRuB) 9/2/11 Phone Conversation with IRS agent Mr. Lofgren Agent #1000247578, Phone: 1800-829-4933 Based on the information I provided (see above), Mr. Lofgren thought our youth crew do qualify as students and thus are NOT employees. We DO NOT need to withhold Social Security or Medicare from their stipends.

Mr. Lofgren recommended the following publications for more information: IRS.gov    

Form 941 – how we will distinguish between total “wages/stipends” paid by the organization and employees who pay into medicare/SS. Line 2 and line 5a allow us to Publication 15, pg 34 talks about students and exemptions Publication 15-B, p4 talks about “fringe benefits” which may be IRS version of our stipends.

Might also be called achievement awards. Will need to look into this.

Publication 910 – Is a big resource – may have info on student designation

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Notebook Guide Crew Member Notebook Each notebook will have several sections, including a “Schedules” section, one outlining various procedures, and an employment skills section. Make a binder for each student plus an extra one as a base for the staff binder.

1. Replace “Crew Member Notebook” with each Crew Member’s name 2. Replace Calendars (see the Calendar Template) 3. If the pay structure of the program has changed at all, make sure the Standards Agreement is up-to-date. Search for the term “Stipend” and “Lateness” to make sure that the penalties and agreements still make sense.

4. In Job Skills Emergency Procedures, search for the names “Tyson”, “Ruth”, “Taylor”, or “Catherine” to update contact information, if needed.

5. Print out the Employment Skills Curriculum Handouts and put them in the Employment Skills section of each student’s binder!

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Job Skills Program Manual Staff Notebook The Staff Notebook is essentially composed of a Crew Member Notebook plus some extra documents.

Once you’ve made all the necessary changes to the Crew Member Notebook and printed out a copy, add and/or make the following documents: 1. If you haven’t created it already, make a Job Skills Contact List. You should have at least a phone number for all of the students in the program in case you need to contact them, as well as numbers of adults you may need to contact often (Geri comes to mind for the Cama Beach binder).

2. Using the Calendar Template, create an Attendance Record sheet. Basically, you will want a quick visual record of each day’s attendance. Fit all the sessions and all the students on one sheet of paper. This will go in the front of the binder for easy access.

3. Print one Violations Tracking Form for each student. You will use this form to track each student’s violations/earn-back status.

4. You should print at least one Straight Talk Form for each week the program is running – and make it easy on yourself by typing each student’s name into the form so you don’t have to do it every week! This form is a place you can write notes after/during each session so that Straight Talk will be more specific and fruitful.

Print out the Observational Evaluation Rubric and make sure you know how to use it! (See the Boat-Building Boat-building is an especially apt place for students to practice their skills in critical thinking, problem solving, communication, and collaboration. Building a boat requires hard skills in shaping and cutting wood, using composite materials, and reading plans. Building a boat with a team thus requires great flexibility and creativity as well as excellent visualization and problem-solving skills.

As a leader, the boat-building portion of the curriculum can be very stressful. As a project with a clear outcome, it is essential that we accomplish our goals (aka building a boat!) in the time allotted – meaning that it is helpful to have flexibility in our schedule for unforeseen complications. It is also essential to think about leadership and decision-making roles for various students. As we continue to develop our program, feel free to add any structures we come up with to aid in this process!

On-the-Water Skills The on-the-water curriculum at South Lake Union starts in earnest with a full overnight trip in the Longboat. This trip is an excellent way to set the tone for the entire program, so it’s important to plan well! Here’s what you need to do: 3. Send out a gear list. We provide sleeping bags and food, but students will need to bring their own warm clothes and personal supplies. Once you have written a good list, make sure and save it so that we can use it in future years!

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Job Skills Program Manual 4. Prepare the Longboat. Because the Long boat is a Coast Guard Inspected Vessel, we need special safety gear (including life vests). Tyson will know what is needed, but write it down for next time!

For the rest of the program, our curriculum roughly follows the course of a typical AB (Able Seaman) certification program. Many entry-level positions on seagoing vessels require an AB, so it is a huge asset for our youth to have this certification. Once again, documentation of this portion of the program is a bit sparse at this point, so make sure and write down what you’re doing!

The Employment Skills Curriculum Boat-building and on-the-water segments of the curriculum relate directly to our job-readiness curriculum. There are two separate but interrelated goals of this part of the curriculum. The first – and most obvious goal – is to give students the technical skills they need to move into a stable and productive career. These skills include fundamentals like money management, resume-writing, organizing a job search, etc. The second goal of the program is to help students understand, clarify, and articulate their own strengths. Through reflection on their experiences in the program and beyond, students will have the opportunity to explore various skills and career pathways while starting to take concrete and confident steps towards building their own future.

To familiarize yourself with this part of the curriculum is, read through the Employment Skills Lesson Plans and the accompanying Employment Skills Curriculum Handouts. These documents should provide you everything you need to teach employment skills to crew members, but feel free to add and subtract as necessary! It is especially important to make sure you are checking in with students frequently on an individual basis. This will ensure that students continue to make progress towards defining and reaching their goals without getting stuck!

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Job Skills Program Manual In addition, take a look at the resources in the Maritime Careers Resources Guide for Caseworkers folder (located under …\Job Skills). The Maritime Careers Brochure can help you get a quick idea of why maritime could be a good option for some students. The Maritime Careers Resource Guide (version 3) is a deeper look at some of the maritime careers that might be a good fit for students. Use it – and Tyson – to help connect interested students to the numerous free or low-cost training options that exist in the maritime trades.

The Saturday Speakers Program One key piece of our employment skills curriculum involves bringing in speakers from various segments of the maritime industry. These speakers allow our students to hear more about the industry (if they have interest) as well as reinforcing for everyone the need for the skills they are learning.

David’s Saturday Speakers Guide for more information about how to organize this!

5. Evaluation Methods section of the Job Skills Manual).

6. You should also print out one copy per student of the documents in the file Job Skills Evaluations. These will be used in interviews at the beginning, middle, and end of the session.

7. Review and print the Employment Skills Lesson Plans, which will give you everything you need to know to teach the employment skills curriculum!

8. Use the Example Day One Schedule to make a plan for your own first day of programming!

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January 2013 Job Skills Update I. II. III.

What’s Changed?

Spring Job Skills!

Alumni Updates

IV.

Partnerships!

I. What’s changed since last year?

We’ve changed our general schedule from last year, and have decided to slightly alter our focus at South Lake Union. As far as scheduling goes, we’re shifting to a semester model (instead of last year’s nine month program). Due to the ease of getting on the water at South Lake Union, our program this year will focus more strongly on on-the-water skills – though we’ll also be helping to put together a boat.

Eventually, we’re aiming to use this training to equip our graduates with Coast Guard certification that will give them a leg up in the maritime workforce. Stay tuned! Our Cama Beach program will continue to focus on boat-building, and both programs will continue have a strong employment skills curriculum.

Tell me more about Coast Guard certification! In the coming year, the Job Skills program will work to become a Coast Guard approved Able Seaman (AB) course. This means that our students will be able to get an AB after some on-the-water experience and additional training. Why? Able Seaman is one of the entry-level positions in the deck department of a ship. Many entry-level positions on seagoing vessels require an AB, so it would be a huge asset for our youth to have this certification. We are aiming to have submitted a course proposal to the Coast Guard by the end of the year.

What boat are you building this year at Cama? A Pelicano Utility Skiff, designed by Sam Devlin. This is part of a program – funded by the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, the Lucky Seven Foundation, and the Raikes Foundation – to build two new safety boats for CWB. The first boat will be built this spring at Cama Beach; the second at South Lake Union in the fall. Having two additional safety boats will allow us to expand programming at both campuses because we’ll be able to get more youth out on the water at the same time.

II. We’re Beginning Spring Job Skills!

We’ve been actively recruiting for the last several months, and we’re pleased to report we’ve hired eight youth at South Lake Union and five at Cama Beach! For the next twelve weeks, we’ll be together on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays at SLU and Thursdays and Saturdays at Cama Beach. Come see what we’re up to!

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Job Skills Program Manual At South Lake Union we will begin our spring session with an overnight in the Longboat. We will row all the way to Seward Park, eat dinner, and sleep on the boat. Our Cama session will begin with team building and preparation of the shop for our big boat-building project.

III. Alumni Updates (Jan 2013)!

Update from Troy, now enrolled in the Job Corps Program at Tongue Point in Astoria, OR: Every day i see people who want to leave this place and people who want to learn. For the frist time in my life I am a part of the group that wants to learn.

Thank you for helping change my life Troy

Update from Aislinn Palmer (CWB Staff): Further update on a past Job Skills student: I saw Nick on Saturday at the Sound Experience Fundraiser. Jessica was also there, and baby London (who is super cute and only cried once – when her parents were on stage trying to speak to the crowd, of course). Bev was also there and spoke along with Nick and Jessica, even though she has retired.

Both Nick and Jessica had really powerful things to say about the transformative experience they had on board Adventuress, and Nick and Bev both mentioned (and lauded) The Center for Wooden Boats. It was especially touching for me because I met Bev at the same event last year, right before we did the interviews for the students. I asked her for any stand-outs, and Nick was one she mentioned, and then I happened to get him (and Angela) when we did the interviews. My job doesn’t typically intersect much with education, but having the opportunity to interview Nick last year, advocate for him in the decision process, and then see him complete the program and now stand in front of a room of people, dressed up, speaking eloquently about his experiences, gave me a huge sense of pride for what CWB does and the importance of the Job Skills Program.

V.

New Partnerships!

We’re excited to be working with several amazing organizations to continue to strengthen our program.

Several of these new partnerships are described below:  Youth Program Quality Initiative. This program, which is funded by Raikes Foundation and administered by School’s Out Washington, will focus on strengthening the quality of our programs by learning to measure and assess them more effectively! The Youth Program Quality Initiative has a bunch of tools that will allow us to get a really clear picture of what’s working and what’s not in our programs and support us in changing what we need to change.  Seattle Education Access will provide college access and career counseling for our Job Skills students.  Port Jobs will provide their Financial Tools for the Trades Curriculum to our program and help us teach our students about credit, budgeting, and other essential topics.

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Job Skills Program Blurb Instructors: CWB Youth Staff Ages: 16-22 Spring Season: Dates TBD Fall Season: Dates TBD Limit: 8 Crew Members Join us for our second year of Job Skills Training! CWB invites young adults from low-income or underserved backgrounds to be Job Skills Crew Members at our location in South Lake Union. Crew members will participate in all areas of CWB’s operations. Gain hands-on experience maintaining CWB’s fleet of historic boats, assist in the delivery of youth and adult programs, and learn on-the-water skills in power, sail and row boats.

Learn about careers in the maritime trades through field trips, guest speakers, and information sessions.

Write resumes and cover letters; learn how to job search; and practice interview skills. In addition to gaining valuable experience, a stipend is available to offset student living costs.

If you have an interest in working with your hands and would like to explore maritime skills and careers, contact Tyson Trudel at ttrudel@cwb.org or visit www.cwb.org/jobskills.

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Job Skills Summary What is the Job Skills Training Program?

The Job Skills Program is designed to help young people build employment skills for a variety of careers – with a special focus on the maritime trades. Students will explore various skills and career pathways through field trips, guest speakers, and hands-on experience on the water.

By the end of the program, Crew Members will be equipped to find and keep jobs in a variety of fields – and they will have the necessary training to advance quickly.

Why maritime skills?

The maritime workforce is “greying out,” and needs skilled workers. Our youth need steady, well-paid jobs that don’t necessarily require a four-year college degree. Given our existing work with both youth and boats, the Center for Wooden Boats is in an excellent position to bridge that gap.

More importantly, we’ve found that working on boats is an excellent way to teach some of the intangible personal and leadership skills that youth will need to succeed at any job – on the water or not.

How is the program structured? Is it the same as last year?

We’ve changed our general schedule from last year, and have decided to slightly alter our focus. As far as scheduling goes, we’re shifting to a semester model (instead of last year’s nine month program). For each semester this year, we’ll start with a month-long trial period/introduction. Students can then reapply to be in our longer program, an eight-week training intensive focused around on-the-water-skills (which is slightly more specific than last year). At the end of the program, students can apply for one of two internships with our youth boatbuilding or field trip programs.

Who can/should apply for the Job Skills Program?

Requirements for Applicants:  From low-income and/or underserved background  Age 16-22 Youth who are a good fit:  Have a strong interest in the program, maritime careers, or going to sea.  Like to work with their hands.  Have the ability to adapt to rapidly changing situations.  Are going towards a GED (most positions in the industry will require this).

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Job Skills Training

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Job Skills Program Manual 

Have no DUIs or drug offenses on their record. These convictions will make it hard for youth to get most maritime jobs – they won’t be able to get a MMD or TWIC card without having to jump through extensive hurdles. It is possible to jump through those hurdles, but difficult and timeconsuming.

When is this happening?

Applications will be available in February 2013, but exact program dates are to be determined.

I want to know more!

If you have an interest in working with your hands and would like to explore maritime skills and careers – or know a young person who does – contact Tyson Trudel at ttrudel@cwb.org or visit www.cwb.org/jobskills.

The Center for Wooden Boats

Job Skills Training

Program Manual - Page 62

Job Skills Program Manual

David’s Saturday Speakers Guide Recruitment Over the last two years, The Job Skills Training Program has made a number of maritime-industry friends who share an interest in some or all aspects of the program's goals. It is my recommendation that these friendships continue to be fostered in the future not only due to the professional clout possessed by many of the speakers but also due to each speakers' personal interest in developing the future practitioners of their respective trades. Complete lists of speakers from the inaugural 2011-2012 season as well as the 2013 season exist in the Job Skills Folder. Below is a list of three select speakers who especially deserve to be considered for future speaker invitations:    

Jim Meckly, Kvichak Eric Peterson, Guido Perla Jeff Slesinger, Western Tugboat / Delphi Maritime Frank Immel, Global Diving & Salvage

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Job Skills Program Manual One critique from students in the first 2013 cohort dealt with the immediate relevancy of the speakers professions to the program participants' interest. One way to revise the speaker schedule to better meet the interests of the specific group might be to load the first half of the program with the above speakers from past sessions. During the second week evaluation, gauge the direction in which the students' interests are heading and pursue professional leads based on these findings. For example, if a participant is interested in interior design, locate an interior designer for yachts and relentlessly request their presence. This method will require research and numerous appeals to targeted professionals who may or may not have any affiliation or familiarity with The Center for Wooden Boats. It is important to remain persistent in the appeal process. Email three or four times. Call if you can manage to locate a phone number. Most people are willing to help---they just need to be pushed into realizing so.

Field Trips Another critique from the most recent session was the lack of field trips. One possibility that emerged was the opportunity to travel into Ballard to visit Pacific Fisherman Shipyard. Jim Meckley also offered a tour of the Kvichak's Ballard plant. The main reason these trips did not happen was the fact that they emerged towards the later half of the session, which made the opportunities difficult to pursue while trying to conclude other aspects of the curriculum. Given some pre-session planning, a field trip seems as though it would enhance the overall program experience and require little logistical effort.

Student Preparation Most students in the Spring 2013 session were sorry interlocutors. Part of the blame lies with the instructors for not providing information/preparation time within class prior to the speakers' arrival. In order to increase student participation during speaker visits, it is my recommendation that students be given a brief bio of the speaker in addition to a block of time (30 minutes to an hour) during the class period immediately prior to the speaker's visit in order to research the speakers company and/or develop questions.

The Center for Wooden Boats

Job Skills Training

Program Manual - Page 64

Job Skills Program Manual

The Center for Wooden Boats

Job Skills Training

Program Manual - Page 65