Shop Captains
What is a Shop Captain?
A shop captain is a volunteer leader that takes responsibility for the operations of a smaller area, or shop, of the makerspace. Shop captains work as a team.
The Shop Captain Lead is an existing shop captain who takes responsibility for setting meetings and distributing information to shop leaders.
Who are the current shop captains?
- 3D Printing
- Automotive Repair
- Ceramics
- Electronics
- Media Lab
- Metal Shop
- Print Lab
- Textiles Studio
- Wood Shop
Roles and Responsibilities
Shop captains are the individuals who are responsible for the following:
Facilities & Maintenance Duties
- Ensuring equipment is maintained
- Ensuring consumables are replenished on a regular basis (like welding wire, for example)
- Prioritizing shop safety and creating/posting signage in the shop with policies
- Establishing shop policies and sharing them with members and shop users
- Ensuring that proper safety equipment is available.
Educational Duties
- Making sure that members using the shops have access to resources to learn to safely operate the tools
- Leading shop orientations if no other teacher is available
- Helping find qualified instructors to teach workshops and to mentor members
- Making sure that there are classes and programming scheduled regularly in their shop
- Planning for the growth and improvement of the shop
Shop Growth Duties
- Helping find better tools through donations
- Being a point of communication with donors that provide tools or resources for their shop
- Engaging members in growing and improving their shop
They should communicate any problems or issues with the Executive Director.
Shop Manager Roles and Responsibilities
In addition to any regular shop duties, the Shop Manager is responsible for
- Scheduling regular shop captain meetings
- Helping onboard new shop captains