Vocational Skills

According to the United States Department of Labor, youth need to be exposed to a range of experiences to be successful in choosing a career path, including:

• Opportunities to engage in a range of work-based exploration activities such as site visits and job shadowing

• Multiple on-the-job training experiences, including community service (paid or unpaid) that is specifically linked to the content of a program of study and school credit

• Opportunities to learn and practice their work skills ("soft skills")

• Opportunities to learn first-hand about specific occupational skills related to a career pathway.

Pathways’ internship model provides students with work tailored to their interests and the local job market. Examples include:

• Food Service

• Retail

• Landscaping/Maintenance

• General Office Work

• Customer Service

• Animal Care

When businesses partner with Pathways, students attend their internship once or twice a week in shifts of 2 - 3 hours. Students are provided reliable transportation and are supported by a job coach or the program coordinator. The day(s), time(s) and scope of work are agreed upon in advance and Pathways staff maintain a running dialogue with our business partners to discuss progress, challenges or changes. Internships run throughout the course of the school year and take place during the traditional school hours.