To be work-ready, students need to develop a broad set of skills to meet employer expectations as they prepare for employment.
But these same skills also pave the way to a successful transition to the roles and responsibilities of adult life. Y.A.L.E. School creates multiple avenues for students to acquire foundational skills like time management, productivity, problem-solving, critical thinking, teamwork, and self-advocacy through our School-to-Work Program.
Opportunities vary by campus and are also based on the age, academic schedule, and transition goals of the student. Parents are encouraged to explore the possibilities by reaching out to the building supervisor for campus-specific information regarding the following School-to-Work options:
Volunteer opportunities help students who are just beginning to explore career interests learn how to recognize the value their skills can provide to an employer.
Internal paid jobs on the school campus provide students with work experience while earning minimum wage and receiving feedback from jobsite mentors. Students have worked as physical education assistants, editors in the YTV studio, electronics recycling associates, and in various roles at Y.A.L.E. School stores.
Community internships provide students with unpaid introductory work experiences in local businesses where they can refine their interests and gain a realistic view of the skills required to obtain competitive employment in various career clusters.
Paid jobs with community employers give students who have cultivated work readiness the opportunity to apply what they have learned in a competitive setting through work-based learning partnerships arranged by Y.A.L.E. School.
Student-run enterprises are innovative work-based learning opportunities located at the Y.A.L.E. Voc Skills Lab and Co-op that provide students with business, technology, and entrepreneurial skills as they assume various roles within the school-based businesses they operate and manage.
