FUTURECYCLE
Applications for Winter 2023 are closed.
Our 15-week paid FutureCycle training program began February 2023. This job skills program is open to six youth, 16-24 who think bikes can change lives, are interested in teaching, aren’t afraid to get dirty, aren’t afraid of a challenge, and are curious and excited to learn. Check back in October 2023 for our next session!
Paid Training and Internship
FutureCycle equips youth, who face barriers to success, with skills to be employable in any bike shop or other specialty retail, through 15 weeks of paid training and internship. FutureCycle also illustrates, through experience, that the bicycle can be used as a means to financial success, a form of transportation, and a medium to gain mechanical and problem-solving skills.
Job Skills Training
Drawing on existing programs that teach safe riding and bicycle repair, we incorporate job skills training such as resume building, interviewing, customer service skills, and more. Participants start the program with training in the fundamentals of safe riding and in-depth bicycle repair. They rebuild a used bicycle to commute on and keep after the program, and continue to build and refine their skills. Participants finish the program with a 5-week externship with a partnering bike shop in town. Upon graduation, it is our goal to have produced highly desirable bicycle shop employees with relationships and references from RBP and the partnering shops.
We began with one pilot participant in Spring 2016. Since then, we have engaged 20 youth as Mechanics-In-Training and maintained 80% program completion with 65% earning continuing job offers. One FutureCycle alumnus currently works for RBP, and one has been promoted to manager at the shop where they spent their 5-week externship.