As part of Calais’ Work Based Learning program, 12 plus students get the chance to explore possible career paths through onsite, hands-on internships at several local businesses. These internships help our 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 internships help students build a resume, explore career paths, and develop workplace readiness skills. Let’s take a closer look at one of our more recent partnerships with Crunch Fitness Parsippany and see what our students are learning. 

Crunch Fitness Parsippany, part of a popular fitness club franchise, offers a variety of group workouts, strength training and personal training. Since the beginning of the school year, Calais students interns have been coming to Crunch multiple times a week where they jump right into a high-energy, upbeat work environment. They are learning job-specific skills such as how to clean and maintain a large fitness facility, along with broader transferable skills like time management, problem solving, understanding employer expectations and appropriate workplace behavior. 

General Manager, Crunch Parsippany Christopher Roberts comments on why the Calais/Crunch partnership works.

“Crunch Parsippany decided to partner with the Calais School because we believe in the school’s mission, values, and purpose. Crunch Parsippany is a diverse and dynamic community and we feel that our interns from the Calais School learned very quickly what it meant to be part of a positive, uplifting, and caring workplace culture. We value every single one of our students from the Calais School and our gym community is a better place because of their contributions”. 

Crunch interns gain an invaluable perspective on the differences between being an employee and being a customer. Participating students have also commented that they enjoy the added bonus of being able to workout there and feel a deep sense of pride using the machines and equipment that they are responsible for sanitizing. 

We are very proud of our students as they diligently work and progress in their internships. The Calais School’s Work Based Learning program is designed to give students experience in a variety of industries so they can build a resume, explore career paths and develop career specific field experience. So far in 2023 the WBL program has added several new internship opportunities for our students. 

Check in with us for our next installment in this series featuring our exciting new partnership with Riccardi Brothers in Morristown, where our students are entrusted with a diverse range of hands-on assignments and learning so many new skills.

If you are a local business owner or store manager, and are interested in partnering with The Calais School’s Work Based Learning program, please contact Vincent Femia, Work Based Learning Coordinator, at 973-884-2030 ext. 356.