Marion Polk Food Share's "The Better Burger Work Experience"

Marion-Polk Food Share has partnered with Job Growers Inc. to create a 10-week, 200 hour,  work experience opportunity for youth ages 18 – 24 to make the Better Burger. This effort is targeted to help provide youth with a “first-time,” employment opportunity and the real-life training that only a workplace environment can foster. Our main goal for all participants is to obtain and maintain employment after graduating.
This training program is completely FREE and is an unique opportunity for young adults to build their resume and gain valuable job skills.

The 1st step of the program is to attend an Information Session! Information Sessions are 2 – 3 pm on August 26th and 10 – 11 am on September 3 for anyone interested in learning more about the program.  It is a commitment of 20 hours a week for 10 weeks and all participants who complete the program with passing marks will receive a food handlers card and an industry-recognized certificate of job skills. For your sending pleasure, click here for the updated Better Burger flyer.  We've also created the Facebook event, which is here.

The MPFS work experience gives participants an opportunity to learn about and then demonstrate skills in food handling and production as well as quality control & assurance, nutrition education, hunger in Marion and Polk counties, and food safety in a production kitchen.  The participants will work 20-hours a week in the Better Burger kitchen performing job duties and supervised as normal employees would.  Job Growers Inc. and MPFS staff will also provide valuable trainings in teamwork, enrichment topics, communication, time management, and also mentoring and job coaching.

Outside of the Better Burger 200-hour Work Experience. Job Growers Inc. will provide “Career-Based Training,” which presents participants with tools to socialize successfully in any work environment. This training will occur 4-hours a week. Industry partners have aided in this training’s curriculum design and assessment. It is a unique opportunity to teach the future work force the tools they need for success.  In the words of a participant in a similar Job Growers Inc. program, “I have a better outlook on myself and have improved…work skills.  I was shown how to act professional and switch to casual at the appropriate times.”

Participants will receive experience with:

Food Handler Safety    Servesafe Curriculum    Food Production
Culinary Arts        Teamwork        Financial Management
Quality Control        Quality Assurance    Leadership
Food Safety        Workplace Safety    Nutrition

Participants will also be able to join in during bimonthly “Enrichment Topics,” presentations done at MPFS throughout the course. Topics will include subjects such as: how to make a nutritious lunch, how to make your resume better, practice interviewing, special trips to food industry partners in Salem, running, etc.

We need your help reaching out to future program participants!  Please forward this email to anyone interested in job skills training, or works with youth and can help promote this opportunity.  Please post the attached flyer.

Please contact Marshall Curry, Better Burger Program Coordinator, at Marion-Polk Food Share with any questions.  He can be reached at mcurry@marionpolkfoodshare.org or 503-581-3855.

Thanks!