My first paid job was through the Canada Student Summer Jobs (CSSJ) program. My home church hired me to create and run nine weeks of day camp programming for unreached families in our city at a time when none of us even really knew what day camps were. All my summer employment throughout Bible College was through CSSJ, and I've been the employer or direct report for CSSJ placements annually for years.
A wise Bible College professor of mine once said, "Every experience and opportunity you have is like a key that goes on a keychain, and you never know when you'll be standing in front of a door that one of them can open."
I've probably logged more hours on a photocopier than most pilots in planes and learned useful skills along the way in the doing. But while we gleefully celebrate the "free labour" and added staff, be intentional about what summer students are doing and how you are caring for their being.
Mentor
While summer students provide excellent labour and have time to tackle tasks that have been pushed aside, like the annual clean out of church storage areas, capture teachable moments, and take time to explain why tasks are important to the ministry and functions of the church and its mission. Talk about the vision, mission, and values of the church and why you are asking them to complete tasks with diligence and excellence. Build in time to debrief with them, get their feedback and find out what they find challenging, enjoyable, or stretching. Don't simply make them your summer minions but look for ways to pour into their whole life development. Provide space to fail, learn and grow.
One Direct Report
Summer students can easily become overwhelmed with the volume of tasks, asks, and demands, especially in a multi-staff setting. Be clear about who summer students report to and have all tasks and asks for their time coordinated through a central person so that each student only has one primary direct report at a time. Other staff and leaders who would like to utilize the time and talents of a summer student should make their request to the direct report, which manages the student's workflow, rather than hijacking the student's time and energy. Managing summer students is also a good opportunity to develop your existing staff in organization skills, time management and the stewardship of human resources. A direct report for students also provides clarity, boundaries, and an understanding of what lane they should operate in. It also alleviates the stress that a student can experience when staff members make requests of them, and they don't feel that they decline.
Realistic Workflow
CSSJ employees are technically employed by the government of Canada and subject to employment standards as outlined in the CSSJ guidelines. Students are to have a set time for lunch, a morning break and an afternoon break. As local church ministry is not limited to Monday to Friday business hours and requires weekend and evening time commitments, ensure a balance to a student's schedule and workflow. Tasks, responsibilities, and roles assigned to students need to fall within a realistic workflow of time in which they can be completed and achieved. Piling on too many tasks will frustrate and burn out students, and you, the employer, will be agitated as well. Be realistic about the pace, capacity and skill set of summer students. Create a workflow chart where time commitments, tasks, roles and responsibilities are clearly mapped out. Have a reporting system where a student lets their direct report know when tasks are done or if they are struggling to complete a task within the allotted time and may miss the deadline. Charted workflows avoid wasting students' valuable time as there is a clear map of their tasks, responsibilities, and expectations.
Cultivate Skill Set
The main role of CSSJ is to provide students with on-the-job training to learn and develop new skills. Make space to teach summer students how to complete tasks successfully. Refrain from assuming that they can figure it out and that it should be obvious. Their inability to complete a task with competence might be a reflection of the direct report's inability to communicate instructions clearly. Provide a variety of work for students to do so that they can experience new things and not just be confined to the same task for the entire summer. Find out what a student excels at, enjoys, or has an aptitude for. If you can direct them to tasks and responsibilities where they can shine and grow, it will give them more grit to engage in things they are less skilled or comfortable with. New experiences can be positive, and failure can be a teachable moment if you take the time to cultivate it.
Be Balanced
Some tasks and responsibilities assigned to summer students can be demanding and draining. Be mindful of the need for students to have downtime and recharge. Try not to have back-to-back time-consuming, and energy-draining events or tasks and expect students to give their best. At the same time, avoid having students sitting around waiting to be assigned work. Steward their time and labour well, building opportunities for connection over a coffee break or going out for ice cream. Recognize when they have worked hard and give them less intense tasks afterwards if possible. Ensure that students have time off that they are due if they are working weekends and evenings. Adjust their work schedule accordingly and model to them a healthy lifestyle.
A good summer employment experience in a local church setting can be life-changing to a young person, positively or negatively. It can alter their life trajectory, faith walk, and aspirations. It will also grow the leadership of those who manage students' time and talents, refining their skills and abilities to develop others. Make the most of student summer job placements and intentionally develop younger leaders.
Hailey is the President of the Sub Arctic Leadership Training College and the Director of Northern Initiatives and Church Partnerships for the ABNWT District Resource Center