• Chef Works!

  Were you the recipient of a Home Energy Visit this past summer? Please click here to complete a survey.

• Energy Works!

Are you a young woman looking for a summer job that’s fun and interesting, working with cool people?

Are you aged 16-24 and have experience with one or more of the following: not completing high school, being in foster care, being homeless, having a criminal record, receiving public assistance or dealing with other issues that have kept you from working?

Then we have might have a job for you! We have 20 openings in two exciting 7-week programs - Chef Works! and Energy Works! - that pay $8.06/hour and teach skills you can apply to a job after the summer ends. No experience needed, we will train you!

Both programs combine paid work experience with training in a range of work readiness skills.

Chef Works!

Partnering with the City of Winooski’s Department of Parks and Recreation and the VT Campaign to End Childhood Hunger, Chef Works! will train 10 young women in food preparation and community nutrition.

As a member of the 10-person Chef Works! crew, you will learn culinary skills through preparing meals for children enrolled in Winooski City’s THRIVE summer program. THRIVE is a low-cost summer program that provides children with two healthy meals a day, a safe, nurturing environment, and engaging activities. Through your work in the kitchen, job shadows with chefs and others involved in the local food industry and ongoing workshops in special topics, you will learn basic knife skills and a full range of food preparation skills. You will also learn other aspects critical to the business of food operation – budgeting, ordering, managing inventory, menu planning and customer service.

Once trained, you will be able to:

• Use kitchen tools safely and effectively
• Communicate well in a team-based environment
• Understand nutrition guidelines
• Confidently prepare and serve meals to young children

Have more questions? Want more information?
Contact Kiona Baez at 802-655-8900 ext. 112 or by e-mail at kbaez@vtworksforwomen.org.

Energy Works!

Teaming up with Efficiency Vermont, Energy Works! will train 10 young women toconduct home energy visits, upgrades and education for residents of Chittenden County.

As a member of the 10-person Energy Works! crew, you will visit homes in Chittenden County to make efficiency upgrades like wrapping hot water heaters, swapping out high energy light bulbs for compact fluorescents etc. You will also learn how to advise residents about (1) reducing energy use; (2) meeting their home heating needs; and (3) increasing awareness of state efficiency services. In addition to home visits, you and your crew will make presentations on these same efficiency measures to local businesses, nonprofits, and other social organizations to help educate the community and find new homes to visit.

Once trained, you and your crew will be able to:

• assess faucets and showerheads for efficiency
• install free water-saving faucet aerators and high pressure efficient showerheads
• install free compact fluorescent light bulbs
• identify electrical fixtures that waste energy
• wrap electric hot water heater tanks and pipes
• provide local energy resources and incentives
• provide guidance about saving more energy

This program will begin with one full week of intensive training in communication skills, public speaking, phone skills, expectations of the work place, customer service, safety, and the technical skills needed for the residential efficiency upgrades. Throughout the remaining six weeks of the program, crew members will receive additional training from program staff and industry professionals on a range of work readiness skills and technical skills including career opportunities in “Green Collar jobs” such as weatherization, energy auditing and solar panel installation.

Have more questions? Want more information?
Contact Miriam Balsley or Amber DeVoss at 802-655-8900 ext. 112 or by e-mail at mbalsley@vtworksforwomen.org or adevoss@vtworksforwomen.org.

Both programs will take place in Chittenden County and will run from
June 22nd - August 7th.

Who can apply?

Young women between the ages of 16 and 24. As a “Work Experience” program, participants must meet income eligibility guidelines and face employment barriers such as being on public assistance, being in foster care, being homeless, having a criminal record, or not completing high school. Contact us and we can explain the guidelines in person.

How do I apply?

Click here to download an application (you must have Adobe PDF Reader installed on your computer).
Photography on this page courtesy of David Seaver Photography

This program made possible by generous funding from the Vermont Department of Labor

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