Student Career Development
Vocational Instruction
One of the main ways to lead a more independent life is to work. Meaningful work provides fulfillment, purpose, a place to grow, and, most of all, self-determination. We emphasize work preparedness early-on at League School to ready students for work and life in the neurodiverse world. Most of our students will exit school and enter directly into the work world. Others will go on to post-secondary education, but eventually all will need to access the work skills they learned at League School.
With our continued emphasis on career building, we are known for having one of the strongest community-based vocational programs in the Commonwealth. We collaborate with more than 30 community partners and are able to offer our students a wide range of off-site employment training options, including landscaping, animal care, food preparation, and gardening to name a few.
How It Works
Our vocational program is designed around a step-by-step process that allows students to gain the skills and experience they need to feel progressively comfortable and confident in a work environment. They start by learning basic skills, then apply them in a work setting at school before transitioning into a community-based internship.
Age 12
Students begin learning the pre-vocational skills they need to be successful in a work environment, including taking direction from different supervisors, working collaboratively with peers, and communicating in the workplace.
Age 14
Students take on more responsibilities. Working within the school, they have the opportunity to try out a variety of “paid” jobs at the Hawk’s Nest (our school store), the culinary kitchen, the vocational center, our recycling program, and other areas around the building.
Age 16
Students begin “interning” in community vocational settings individualized for the student’s areas of interest and skill development. Under the guidance of job coaches, students can work in different community settings, including hotels, supermarkets, car washes, office buildings, health clubs, libraries, community nonprofits (e.g., Meals on Wheels), restaurants, and animal rescue/training sites. In these settings, students are able to put into practice the skills they have learned working on-campus. They also learn to work under the guidance of those less familiar with them, as our community partners often take on the role of supervisor. They navigate typical workplace challenges and receive invaluable real-life training, with the goal of gaining paid employment in the future.
Age 16+
When a student successfully masters the ability to work independently without the guidance of a job coach, League School works with our community partners or other employers to find students paid employment opportunities and gradually fade out the job coaching.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
For more information about student career development, please reach out to League Admissions Coordinator, Lynne Goyuk at admissions@leagueschool.com or 508-850-3900 ext. 171.