Pathways
Welcome to Pathways!
As students prepare in the Transition Program designed for ages 18-21, the Pathways Model has been created to facilitate and differentiate each individuals career interest. The program strengthens each students skills and prepares them for employment in the community.
Pathways Program was created to support and employ young adults with special needs, challenges and gifts in a workplace where they can be treated with dignity and respect. It provides a supportive, structured learning environment that enables students to reach their highest level of independence and become contributing members of society and in return they provide an invaluable opportunity to learn from them. The program paves the way for the students to have a smooth transition from structured learning experiences to gainful employment.
Students are matched with their interests and skill sets in fields such as retail, graphic design, food service industry, cosmetics industry, grounds and maintenance, preschool, elder care facilities and pharmacy distribution.
Have a question? Reach out to us!
Dr. Elizabeth McQuaid
Director of Special Services
Transition Coordinator, Job Coach, & Special Education Teacher
(973) 228-1200, Ext. 2405
gbauer@westex.org
(973) 228-1200, Ext. 2405
gbauer@westex.org
Areas of Focus
The Pathways Program supports students ages 18–21 with special needs as they transition into the workforce and greater independence. The program focuses on employment preparation, travel training, and essential life skills, while also building practical application skills tailored to various vocations.
Students receive ongoing guidance through goal-setting, task analysis, and assessments conducted directly at job sites with the support of a certified job coach. They also participate in job-sampling experiences to help determine appropriate employment placements.
Throughout the process, students are supported by the Child Study Team as they navigate services offered by agencies such as DDD, Social Security, and DVRS. To further strengthen vocational abilities, students continue to receive related services, including occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech therapy, which are periodically delivered at job sites to reinforce real-world skill development.
Check Out Some Pics!
Community Partners That Employ Our Students
A Taco Affair – Little Falls
Caremark/CVS – Fairfield
Environmental Center – Roseland
Essex Fells Country Club – Essex Fells
Hair Design by Flora – Caldwell
Home Depot – Totowa
Kopack Physical Therapy – Fairfield
Maschio's Food Service – Chester
Nutley Heating and Cooling – Clifton
Paws Animal Shelter – Montclair
Pomptonian Food Service – Fairfield
Red Cross – Fairfield
Shag 86 – Little Falls
ShopRite – West Caldwell
Sidelines Restaurant – Fairfield
Sky's The Limit Thrift Store – Montclair
Spectrum Works – Secaucus
St. James Pre-School – Upper Montclair
Stepping Stones Pre-School – Roseland
Sunrise Assisted Living – Fairfield
Turtle Back Zoo – West Orange
Valley Girl Boutique – Montclair
Wawa – Fairfield
XCEL Fitness – Fairfield
Pathways Testimonials
Human Resources, CVS
"The Pathways Program has been a wonderful partnership for CVS Specialty. Being a new partnership, it was critical to set expectations and have a clear understanding of how we could partner to provide a work solution CVS had and provide a meaningful work experience for a student. The partnership has exceeded my expectations. We have been able to hire a student who adds a great value to the packing team. The student has been able to learn various job functions in a relatively short period of time. He has also brought an element of diversity to the team, which has enable the team to grow and expand their knowledge when dealing with individuals of particular traits. Through this partnership, we have had several opportunities to learn and make adjustments for the student employee for the betterment of the department and I believe for the student’s overall understanding of how the 'real world' works. I have also shared our experience with my peers in hopes of creating partnerships like this one at our other pharmacies."
Mrs. Cortez, Pathways Parent
"I am thankful and grateful for the child study team, especially Mrs. Bauer, whom is in charge of the Pathways Program at West Essex High School. The program consists of various undertakings that facilitate and help shape students experiences at different selected job sites. For instance, Anaisa works at Shag 86 Hair Salon, Floras Hair Salon, and offers services in a pre-school that provide various learning opportunities. Through the Pathways Program, students are able to learn and develop the necessary job skills , making students marketable for immediate hire after program completion. The experiences form a stable foundation for an individual’s social life and skills development. Anaisa likes the different experiences, and she is committed to taking part in diverse programs. While developing her social skills, the experiences shape her leadership capabilities as a result of interactions with people from diverse settings. Lifelong learning is critical to one’s success since it enhances the ability to take advantage of existing opportunities to develop a broad range of skills. One of the essential skills that Anaisa has developed through the experiences, is effective communication. She is able to learn assessment of people’s feelings and identify appropriate strategies for sharing information with individuals in distinct situations. In the modern world, globalization has improved interactions among people from diverse cultural backgrounds (Duţa & Rafaila, 2014). Therefore, effective communication skills are essential in settings where individuals are expected to establish relations with people from different places. Regarding leadership, the experiences have allowed Anaisa to influence individual views and actions through strategies that foster cooperation. According to Johnson and Maclean (2008), exposure to management styles that are applied in diverse settings improves people’s comprehension of leadership approaches that suit specific situations. she can collaborate with other people in the workplace and express opinions clearly. It is a pleasure and an honor to work with such an amazing Interdisciplinary team, especially Mrs. Bauer. Thank you! Anaisa has been offered a job opportunity, I can’t begin to express how happy and proud I am for her."
References Duţa, N., & Rafaila, E. (2014). Importance of the lifelong learning for professional development of university teachers-Needs and practical implications. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 127(22), 801-806. Johnson, D. & Maclean, R. (2008). Teaching: Professionalization, development and leadership. Dordrecht: Springer.