Learning Job-Ready Skills at the PAES Lab
The PAES Lab is Almost Here
During the third week of January, representatives from the Practical Assessment Exploration System (PAES) were training staff members at the Children’s Education Center in the brand-new PAES Lab.
The PAES Lab offers opportunities to learn a wide range of skills in fields like business marketing, computer technology, consumer service, processing production, and the construction industry. Transition students, ages 14 to 21, will have the opportunity to work through levels as they increase their skills, utilizing tools, supplies, and equipment like computers, cooking appliances, food props, and cleaning devices.
In the PAES Lab, students become employees, and teachers and teachers’ assistants become supervisors. After clocking in, the employees will grab an assignment card accompanying their field of choice and their level. The employee will then find a box to accompany the card with everything they need to complete the assignment. Their supervisor will observe their progress, tracking what they learned to create a report measuring the student’s soft skills, like adaptability and time management, and performance summaries, which measure the number of jobs completed independently, level of supports needed, and interest.
“The PAES Lab is an assessment system built for students to explore a wide array of jobs,” said Savannah Stapley, a representative from PAES. “There’s a total of 264 jobs in the lab, and it’s built in a way for them to explore across a wide variety and see what they are naturally good at and interested in. From there, data is generated to show which jobs they might be successful at.”
Transferring Skills to the Classroom
In addition to learning job-ready skills, students can practice what they’re learning in the classroom, such as occupational skills or following directions.
“A lot of the transition students do have a talent for technology,” said Edward Hackimer, a Curriculum Coordinator at the Children’s Education Center. “The PAES Lab is going to help the students with job-readiness and becoming more independent.”
The cornerstone of the transition program is helping students become more independent as they prepare to graduate and start a new chapter in their lives. Along with the skills they learn, the reports from the PAES Lab will help the staff determine the students’ skills and interests, which can inform options, like supported employment or day services, for the students after they graduate.
“The lab will give the students an opportunity to gain more independence offering one more component that will better prepare them for life after high school,” said Children’s Education Center Director Denise Gaughan. “It’s not just about learning tasks for possible future employment. The lab also teaches skills and behaviors that are useful in daily life. I’m excited to see them explore and grow in this environment that is not the typical classroom.”
A very special thanks to the Parent Committee and supporters of last year’s Reach for the Stars event. The PAES Lab is being made possible through the funds raised that evening!