When Lonnie Griffin was released from prison in December, he had a goal: to find a job. But with a criminal record and no work experience, Griffin, 23 and the father of two, had two strikes against him, in a tough job market. So his job counselor recommended the 12-week job-training course at Blue Sky Bakery, a North Side cafe known for its delectable scones — and for creating first jobs for young people who need them most.
Lisa Thompson opened the cafe at 3720 North Lincoln Avenue in 2008 to provide on-the-job training for 18- to 24-year-olds whose lives have been upended by difficulties like substance abuse, homelessness or jail time. Graduates learn salable skills: cooking, baking and customer service. After more than a decade of working for nonprofits, Thompson, 37, had a particular passion for helping at-risk adolescents. She knew, from watching them struggle with job applications, that it wasn’t enough to encourage them to apply for work. Someone had to put that critical first job within their reach. The bakery approach just made sense to her; besides, she has always loved scones and couldn’t find many places that made “really good ones,” she said.
Griffin, whose training has just ended, was one of her most industrious employees, Thompson said, arriving 90 minutes early for every shift.
There is no expectation that trainees will dedicate their lives to baking. Griffin said that working at the bakery was “a nice experience,” but that he hopes eventually to become a plumber.
Like other employees without a G.E.D. or high school diploma, Griffin earned the minimum hourly wage, $8.25, plus tips. Employees who are taking G.E.D. courses receive a raise of 25 cents an hour, and those with their equivalency earn $8.75.
Blue Sky’s focus on vocational skills is “a smart way to go,” said Paul Fagen, a social worker with Communities in Schools of Chicago, a nonprofit that connects low-income students with free social services. “When you teach mastery of skills, you build self-esteem.”
The young people who arrive at the bakery for interviews “pretty much represent every challenge a kid could face,” Thompson said. “They were living on the El or dealing with substance-abuse issues, were abused themselves, are transgender or transitioning, or are homeless. A lot of them have never worked before.”
Marcus Rice was kicked out of his house when he was a teenager and dropped out of school. Now 25, he heard about Blue Sky from a former high school teacher. “I was struggling to find a job,” he said. “I just didn’t have the experience.” Although he was not thrilled about baking, he decided to give it a try.
“It was one of the best moves I’ve ever made,” he said. Rice now works full time in food service at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. About two-thirds of the students complete the course. “The general reason they usually stop coming is that their lives are just too chaotic,” Thompson said. Sixteen of the 22 graduates have found jobs, she said, and Griffin has lined up several interviews. Donors have urged Thompson to expand the program, but she has demurred, citing a minimal staff and her nonprofit’s dwindling bank balance.
“It’s impossible to give hands-on training to more than two trainees at a time,” she said. “They get bored and distracted if they aren’t engaged. I’ve learned that teenagers very much like rolling, stirring, cutting and kneading; they do not like standing around and watching.”
