SoCalGas Teams up with California Restaurant Association Foundation to Help Students Get Their First Jobs

SoCalGas takes part in "Force In Training," a one-day statewide program that prepares teens to enter the workforce

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Oct 22, 2019, 12:31 ET

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 22, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) is partnering with the California Restaurant Association Foundation (CRAF) to help prepare Los Angeles-area high school students, enrolled in culinary programs, for their first jobs. SoCalGas employees will provide guidance on things like resume-writing, interview skills, handling typical job expectations, and the like. This one-day classroom takeover, called Force In Training® (FIT), is hosted in 50 high schools across the state, training nearly 3,500 students on a single day.

"SoCalGas is proud to take part in this one-day event to help mentor young people who aspire to be a part of the foodservice field," said Dan Rendler, director of customer programs and assistance at SoCalGas. "Natural gas is such an important part of the restaurant business, so we're happy to help give students some helpful tips on getting a job, making a strong contribution, and working their way up in their careers."

Natural gas plays a vital role in the restaurant industry as it provides an affordable and reliable way to cook. In a survey of 100 professional chefs from across the U.S., 96 reported they prefer natural gas cooktops, and 68 prefer gas ovens, according to The Daily Meal." There are more than 37,000 restaurants and 22,000 commercial kitchens in SoCalGas' service territory alone.

During the event, volunteers will lead the three-hour FIT training at each high school. Students will learn how to write a resume, interview, read a paycheck, move up in a career, and more. Industry volunteers will also bring the lessons to life with real-world examples and experience.

"What an amazing opportunity to have employers from the local community teaching young people how to land their first job," said Alycia Harshfield, Executive Director of CRAF. "For 75 percent of the students we serve, this is the only job-readiness course they receive in high school. We are so grateful to SoCalGas for taking the time to invest in our students."

Restaurants have a major role to play in youth employment. Nearly one in three people got their start in restaurants. First jobs are also critical to fostering soft skills like teamwork, customer service, and responsibility. SoCalGas and CRAF are teaming up to provide youth the skills, certifications and resources they need to land that all-important first job.

About SoCalGas

Headquartered in Los Angeles, SoCalGas® is the largest natural gas distribution utility in the United States. SoCalGas delivers safe, affordable, reliable, clean and increasingly renewable natural gas service to 21.8 million customers across 24,000 square miles of Central and Southern California, where more than 90 percent of residents use natural gas for heating, hot water, cooking, drying clothes or other uses. Natural gas delivered through the company's pipelines also plays a key role in providing electricity to Californians— about 45 percent of electric power generated in the state comes from gas-fired power plants.

SoCalGas' vision is to be the cleanest natural gas utility in North America, delivering affordable and increasingly renewable energy to its customers. In support of that vision, SoCalGas is committed to replacing 20 percent of its traditional natural gas supply with renewable natural gas (RNG) by 2030. Renewable natural gas is made from waste created by dairy farms, landfills and wastewater treatment plants. SoCalGas is also committed to investing in its natural gas system infrastructure while keeping bills affordable for our customers. From 2014 through 2018, the company invested nearly $6.5 billion to upgrade and modernize its natural gas system to enhance safety and reliability. SoCalGas is a subsidiary of Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE), an energy services holding company based in San Diego. For more information visit socalgas.com/newsroom or connect with SoCalGas on Twitter (@SoCalGas), Instagram (@SoCalGas) and Facebook.

About the California Restaurant Association Foundation:

California is home to more than 90,000 eating and drinking places that ring up more than $72 billion in sales and employ more than 1.6 million workers, making restaurants an indisputable driving force in the state's economy. The California Restaurant Association Foundation is a non-profit that empowers and invests in California's restaurant workforce. Founded in 1981, CRAF supports the restaurant community through emergency assistance grants for restaurant workers facing a hardship, job and life skills training for 13,500 high school students each year, and scholarships.

SOURCE Southern California Gas Company