By Kesha McCurty, TEENworks manager

The Goodman Community Center trained 10 new culinary TEENworks employees in November. While this was not the biggest training group we have ever had, it was our first training group that included students from all over Madison. We had youth from East, West, LaFollette and Memorial high schools, and even as far out as Middleton High School. This shows just how far our program is reaching.

These teens had the chance to train with both our TEENworks staff and Goodman’s hospitality department, giving them a well-rounded training on all things that they will need to be successful with GCC and in the restaurant industry.

The two-week training included job skills and resume building, financial literacy training and the opportunity to open a bank account with Summit Credit Union. It also included training about harassment in the workplace with the Rape Crisis Center. After spending a week learning those soft job skills, they spent the next week receiving the hands-on training with Goodman’s hospitality staff.

Since most culinary shifts are run by the hospitality department, we thought it would be great to have its staff be a part of the trainings, and they did amazing! The hospitality department, overseen by Laura Springer, designed a training program that gives our teens a look at the back of house procedures with catering chef Jeff Schmidt, and at the front of house procedures with Liza Gabrielse and Julie Butler.

At the end of their week with hospitality, the trainees had the chance to put their new knowledge and skills to the test. They were partnered up with a veteran teen employee and ran a luncheon for Goodman staff. The teens worked the event from beginning to end, from front to back — meaning they cooked the meal, served the meal and cleaned after the meal. This was one of our best trainings yet.

Previous Next