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ABOUT JOINING THE CCC
 Who can join the CCC?
The CCC is for young men and women ages 18 to 25. Almost everyone can benefit from a year in the Corps, and California benefits from their work. Openings are available year-round.
Besides age, there are just a few requirements, such as, applicants must not be on parole or formal probation, and must be interested in working outdoors. There are no restrictions as to income level or education.
Those who meet the basic requirements work with a local recruiter and CCC staff during the application and training process, which includes fingerprinting, a physical exam and completion of a one-week orientation class.
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 Why should I join?
Young people join the CCC for many reasons -- to work outdoors, live away from home, earn a paycheck, advance their education, gain experience and basic skills, explore careers, do something for the environment, meet new people and go new places.
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 How long is the program?
The CCC is basically a one-year program, although corpsmembers can leave at any time. Those who successfully complete a year are eligible for the CCC scholarship and are eligible to take advantage of additional Corps opportunities.
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 How do I join?
You can click here for details on how to link up with a local recruiter.
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 How much do corpsmembers earn?
They receive minimum wage, $8.00 per hour, with cash bonuses after working a specified number of hours. Those who train to become crewleaders or specialists can earn extra pay. At residential centers, $300 is deducted each month for room and board.
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What kind of work do corpsmembers do?
Corpsmembers take on a variety of outdoor work, including landscaping, trail building, tree planting, brush clearance, minor construction work, wildlife habitat improvement, flood prevention and more.
The CCC responds to natural disasters and other emergencies so corpsmembers may find themselves sandbagging against floods, fighting fires, assisting with oil spill cleanup or helping with earthquake recovery.
There are also Special Programs for those with good work records, including the Backcountry Trails Program, the Salmon Restoration Program and the Australian Work Exchange.
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How hard is the work?
While corpsmembers must be willing to work hard, most find they can accomplish the task at hand by giving it their best effort. Corpsmembers work on crews and learn that teamwork is often the best means of achieving success on the job.
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What personal qualities are important for corpsmembers?
Corpsmembers need to be willing to work hard and see a job through to the end. They must be willing to accept responsibility, develop good work habits and demonstrate punctuality and dependability. They must be able to get along well with all kinds of people.
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Can I live at home? Can I pick a residential center?
Both options are available in the CCC. There are nonresidential locations throughout the state, where corpsmembers commute to work each day from home. There are also residential centers, where corpsmembers live in dorms and have their meals in the dining hall.
Applicants indicate their center preferences upon joining and will be assigned depending on space available at the time. Corpsmembers with good work records may transfer to other centers, if desired, after four months.
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What about training and education?
Corpsmembers receive initial training during their first week's orientation to the Corps as trainees; additional training is provided throughout their stay, both on-the-job and in the classroom. All corpsmembers learn proper tool use and safety; there are also opportunities for further instruction and certification in first aid and CPR, chain saw work, cooking, and numerous internships.
Along with their day-to-day work projects, corpsmembers work to advance their education. For those without high school diplomas, the Muir Charter School and adult education providers offer instruction to earn diplomas or GEDs. Several hundred corpsmembers earn their diplomas or GEDs in the CCC each year.
All corpsmembers take classes in "Conservation Awareness" and "Career Development." The first course emphasizes environmental principles and the "why" behind the work they do. The second prepares corpsmembers for employment after the CCC, and they learn about job applications, interviews, resumes and basic employment skills.
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Why are there different hat colors?
The CCC distinguishes its corpsmembers and staff by their hat colors. Corpsmembers start out with a blue hat and can earn a red hat as a crewleader, or a green hat as a specialist. Crewleader IIs, the highest corpsmember level, wear orange hats.
Staff members wear yellow hats, and the center director a white hat.
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ABOUT HAVING THE CCC WORK FOR YOU
My city (county, agency) has work the CCC might be able to do. Who do I talk to?
For more information, contact the CCC location nearest you and ask for the project coordinator. Also see How To Work With Us.
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What is the cost for hiring a CCC crew?
Local, state and federal agencies as well as non-profit organizations may contract with the CCC on an hourly basis or per-project basis, depending on the nature of the work. CCC project coordinators can work with you to develop a project estimate.
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We don't need a whole crew - can we hire a few corpsmembers?
Yes, the CCC has flexible opportunities, and has internships and other options that might work for your agency.
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Who are the corpsmembers?
Corpsmembers are young men and women between the ages of 18 and 25 who join the CCC for a variety of reasons – to work outdoors, find a career, get a high school diploma, get a paycheck, and more. They earn minimum wage. The CCC will not hire anyone on probation or parole and corpsmembers must be fingerprinted and drug-tested prior to being hired.
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What does the sponsoring agency have to provide?
The sponsor provides plans/specifications, materials, and any special tools needed, as well as technical supervision. The CCC provides its own vehicles and basic tool complement, along with a staff (civil service) crew supervisor.
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Will the CCC work on private land?
The CCC, funded by the State of California, requires that there be a public benefit to the work it does on private land.
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GENERAL QUESTIONS
What is the CCC?
The California Conservation Corps is a state agency hiring young men and women, 18 to 25, for a year of natural resource work and emergency response. Simply stated, the CCC puts youth and the environment together to benefit both.
More formally, the CCC's mission is to engage young men and women in meaningful work, public service and educational activities that assist them in becoming more responsible citizens, while protecting and enhancing California's environment, human resources and communities.
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How long has the CCC been around?
The California Conservation Corps was created by Governor Jerry Brown in July 1976. Governor George Deukmejian signed legislation making it a permanent state agency in 1983. Click here for more CCC history.
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What's the connection to the Civilian Conservation Corps of the 1930s?
Governor Brown modeled the program in part after the federal Civilian Conservation Corps established by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1933. The original CCC, which ran from 1933 to 1942, put men to work during the Depression. Here in California, the "CCC boys" built most of California's state parks.
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Was B.T. Collins the first director?
The late B.T. Collins served as CCC director from 1979-1981, after Boyd Hornor and LeRoy Chatfield. The irrepressible Collins helped put the CCC on the map and boasted of the Corps' "hard work, low pay, miserable conditions."
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Who is the current director?
The current director of the CCC is William Semmes. Will was appointed by Governor Schwarzenegger in September 2004.
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What kind of emergency response does the CCC do?
The CCC has been dispatched to nearly every major natural disaster since 1976, from floods and fires to earthquakes, oil spills and more. It adds up to eight million hours of assistance since the Corps was established. Project sponsors understand that when an emergency situation occurs, CCC crews may be called on to respond within hours.
In addition to the immediate response, the Corps often devotes weeks to recovery work after a fire, flood or earthquake. Major efforts have included erosion control work after the Oakland Hills Fire, cleanup and community assistance after the Northridge and Loma Prieta earthquakes and recovery work after the Southern California fires of 2003.
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