As part of Calais’ Work Based Learning program, high school and 12 plus students get the chance to explore possible career paths through on-site internships at several local businesses. 

During Work Based Learning (WBL) internships, students gain hands-on training in real work environments as well as a chance to develop transferable skills important for success as they transition to adulthood. Work Based Learning (WBL) internships help students build their resumes, explore career paths, and develop workplace readiness skills. On-going efforts are made at The Calais School to maintain a robust portfolio of local business partnerships to offer our students a variety of internship experiences. This past school year Calais students began interning at the Walgreens in Florham Park.

Walgreens, as most people know, is a popular pharmacy chain specializing in prescriptions, health/wellness products, groceries, photo printing and more. Calais students have been interning at several Walgreens locations and most recently joined the staff at the Walgreens in Florham Park.

During the internship, students participated in a range of daily projects and activities while also gaining insider knowledge about the retail industry. They added retail industry terminologies to their vocabulary like “front facing products”, the process of pulling products forward to the front of the shelf and “product recovery” the process of returning out-of-place items back to the shelf where they belong. Students also learned about stocking strategies and how to use an inventory scanner. 

In addition to retail-specific assignments, students also learned general transferable skills relating to customer service, communication, business awareness, time management, problem solving and numeracy. When asked about the overall experience, students expressed how fortunate they were to have worked with a manager possessing strong organizational skills and lots of patience which led to a fulfilling and gratifying on-the-job experience.

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If you are a local business owner or store manager interested in helping students with disabilities prepare for their future please consider partnering with The Calais School. To learn more, you can contact Vincent Femia, Work Based Learning Coordinator, at 973-884-2030 ext. 356.