Career Readiness Program Overview
ClearWater Academy’s career readiness courses provide structured work study programs that utilize community-based instruction. Our Career Placement and Career Development classes focus on increasing each student’s independence in the areas of employment, daily living, functional skills, and social communication skills in an employment setting. Through our community business partners, the program provides students with a variety of job training opportunities that will allow them to determine their strengths, interests, and needs. Much of the work is focused on improving the social skills necessary to improve the student’s communication skills and increase student’s understanding of the employer’s expectations. Our mission is to provide students with a highly structured positive learning environment so they can develop personal strategies toward employment independence. We foster a strong work ethic in our young people entering the workforce and cultivate the skills necessary to live as self-sufficient as possible.
Areas of Study for Career Placement & Career Development Classes
- Social skills/pragmatics for employment and daily living
- Functional life skills
- Work experience though job sampling, internships, and job shadowing
- Supportive employment opportunities with on-site job coaching
- Intentional planning for personal and career goals
- Prescribed tools for self-evaluation of knowledge and skills
- Self-advocacy on the job: learning to voice their opinion and/or address concerns regarding their differing abilities and/or supports they may need to complete their job responsibilities.
- How to make decisions and problem solve in the moment on the job
- Maintaining positive communication on the job
- Staying motivated on the job.
- Transitional skills for independent living to include the following: shopping, managing money/budget, cooking, and attending to personal needs such as hygiene and laundry skills.
Current Business Partners with Student Interns
- Spezzano’s Meat Market
- Complete Hardware
- Clothes Less Traveled
- Uniforms of America
- Mimmos Gourmet Pizza
- Rick’s Lawncare
- Real Life Center
- Royal Animal Refuge