I really like Doug/1304bikes ideas about a 'skill block program'. All shops with a work trade program seem to have these problems, and I know that finding tasks--effectively 'managing' work-traders--is one of the most exhausting parts of working in community shops.
I'm currently feeling rather optimistic about the whole situation. BICAS recently created a 'work trade coordinator' position that is currently being filled by Adam, one of our long-term staff members. Adam's perspective, which I really appreciate, is that we are not merely trying to find tasks for folks so that they can put forth a good-faith effort, justifying us 'giving them' a bike. Rather, work-trade can represent a totally new, non-money labor form, and, implicitly, a threat to the logic of capital.
In thinking about work-trade in such a big picture, I've started to ask questions about how to make work-trade valuable to our shops. This might mean tasks such as cleaning and organizing, but I also think that tasks that pay the rent are critical.
The main one for me is patching tubes. If we can be effective in teaching how to patch and organize tubes, and then sell them for $1 each, we are accomplishing three of our shared goals (teaching valuable--the most foundational--skills, making cycling cheaper, and reducing waste) while at the same time making money to support the organization.
Noone likes patching tubes all day. But mightn't there be a way to create a sort of curriculum for work-trade? like a check-list;
__patched 20 tubes
__despoked a wheel
__stripped--and parted out--a bike
__sorted parts
__etc.
when the check-list is complete the work-trader has learned a set of skills, and might be ready to tune-up kids bikes (which we'd still sell 'as-is' but might actually be ready to roll for, i dunno $15). Mostly, I'm tired of seeing 'work-trade' be a lot of work for staff/core-volunteers that only results in a pile of parts on the floor. I think it is our responsibility and an amazing opportunity to help folks be really helpful to our shops.
thanks,
kyle
On Tue, Jun 3, 2008 at 3:53 AM, 1304bikes <
1304bikes@gmail.com> wrote:
Rich, this is a great question, and one i've often thought about posting here! We deal with trying to keep folks busy as well on a daily basis. We're always running around asking each other what those is to be done for the earn-a-bikers! Here's a couple things we do to help keep poeple busy:
-We have a dry erase board in the shop, and we try to update it with the stuff that needs to get done the next time the shop is opened.
-We've also started giving repair lessens to our earn-a-bikers instead of actually requiring them to do "work". So for example, we'll sit a group of them down and teach them fix-a-flat or wheel trueing, and the time they spend learning skills counts toward their EAB hours. It is after all the goal of our EAB program for people to come out with more bike know how than when they started.
-A lot of our EABers spend time stripping bikes and wheels. We've been getting enough donations lately, that it seems like there is always a bike and some wheels to be taken apart. These also leads to parts that need to be sorted and filed.
-Checking, Patching, and labeling tubes is another common task that always needs doing.
-We also try to get EABers helping us to further organize the shop by sizing and seperating parts like spokes, BBs, Cable Housing, etc.
Anyway, these are the sort of things that we do to keep folks busy at our shop. And it is not always enough! We are often running around trying to keep 5-10 folks occupied with something to do, and we don't want to have to turn people away. I'd be interested to hear how other shops keep poeple busy as I'm sure it will help us out. I'd also like to further develop a sort of skill block program that EABers could work on towards their required hours. Do any other shops do this?
Doug
1304bikes
Raleigh, NC
How many times do we hear this question every day?
Our Earn-A-Bike program consists of 10 hours of community service doing chores around the shop. We've had record numbers of EABers this spring and our list of chores is burned through in the first couple hours of any given day.
So for the rest of the time the shop facilitators make up chores on the fly. This is particularly hard when the 20 people in the shop are asking two or three facilitators a constant stream of questions. Maybe we have too many people in the shop but I think if we had a better way to keep people working on projects.
How are you keeping people busy in your shop?
Peace
--
Rich Points
Community Cycles Director
http://CommunityCycles.org
Rich@CommunityCycles.org
720-565-6019
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1304bikes
2419 Mayview Rd.
Raleigh, NC
1304bikes.org
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