Organization, planning and Time Management are key Executive Functions that get covered in the Fall semester. Students learn, through direct instructions and classroom activities, how to use a daily, weekly & monthly calendar to track their school and leisure activities. Students learn how to track assignments from their classes. Students learn to increase their productivity and lessen stressful situations.

This course is highly individualized with students trying out various techniques and determining through trial and error precisely what skills will help them maximize their efforts. 

Introduction to Employment I is the first of two workshops designed to provide students with an understanding of the soft skills related to employment. In the first semester an emphasis is placed on the importance of a positive and enthusiastic attitude when it comes to getting hired and maintaining employment. Students are introduced to the concept of a growth mindset and the importance of it in the workplace. Students are taught our brains are malleable and we continue to learn and build skills throughout the lifespan. Students are taught to embrace mistakes and view them as learning opportunities. Students will have the opportunity to explore these concepts through video, readings, in-person interviews, and self reflection.

Students will have the opportunity to begin building their resume; highlighting the strengths they identified in Career Exploration I and II. 

PAES® Lab (Practical Assessment Exploration System) 
The PAES® lab is a research-based, functional skills curriculum designed with an embedded formative assessment of career potential and employability skills. It identifies functional skill levels, potential career interest, aptitude for community based employment and work behavior strengths and barriers to success in the workplace. The classroom is transformed into a simulated work environment where individuals learn work-related problem solving skills and proper work behavior (arriving on time, completing tasks independently and in a timely manner, asking for help, appropriate use of equipment and maintaining a safe work station).

The students will gain insight into job skills and real work job responsibilities as well as develop a greater understanding of their learning style and training needs for future employment. 

The PAES lab explores five areas: Computer Technology, Construction/Industrial, Processing/Production, Consumer/Service and Business/Marketing. During the second year of the program, use of the PAES lab job tasks and assessments provides students with yet another opportunity to practice job related skills, refine and reinforce these skills as they participate in the formal assessment phase of the PAES lab this semester. 

Students continue to build skills begun in the first year. Skill lessons address self-advocacy, self-regulation/coping, planning and organization, and particular communication and socialization skills. Planned practice and real life experiences link individual skills together. Safety, assertiveness, and conflict resolution are also covered. Students also begin to review workplace etiquette and common pitfalls that often arise.

Concepts such as how to make small talk with fellow employees, answering questions when you do not know the answer, discussing breaks and lunch hours, responding to correction or criticism, and how to approach a supervisor are introduced. Scenarios involving the issues introduced in lecture are broken down into understandable chunks and role-playing is used so students have ample opportunity to generalize appropriate responses and improve their social and job-related communications. 

Social Skills labs include Peer Mentors, college students from various departments on the college campus, working with students to provide opportunities to practice concepts taught in the Social Engagement class. Students learn through the use of natural supports to generalize concepts taught from class. 

Students in their second year of study begin to explore more specific aspects of independent living such as: personal hygiene, safe kitchen practices and cooking, home safety, home care management, and medication management (if applicable). Basic kitchen skills where topics such as reading a recipe, kitchen safety, understanding cooking terms, measurement, basic food preparation and storage as well as serving and cleaning up are also covered. The focus is extremely individualized during this year in order to hone the skills that are important for each individual students’ goals.

Students continue to better identify the triggers and behaviors that can affect achieving one’s life goals overall. Students engage in a wide variety of stress relieving activities including yoga and breathing techniques, meditation and mindful movement. Students continue working on their stress management portfolio tracking their individual triggers and the accompanying stress relieving activity that works to decrease stress.

Individualized academic supports are designed to assist students in identifying and utilizing effective strategies in order to foster success across all aspects of their BRIDGES classes. Students practice using and generalizing these strategies in the areas of planning, organization, time management and problem-solving when completing school work and classroom projects. Students can also hone various stress management and coping strategies. Students continue updating and refining their Person Centered Plan (PCP).

Students choose from the SUNY Orange roster of classes one of particular interest to them and attend the class as an auditing participant. Students are encouraged to choose classes within their chosen area of vocational focus or personal areas of interest for enrichment.

Students learn how to break complex tasks into simple steps, using task analysis through the lens of categorization and sequencing. Instructors model and demonstrate using a variety of tools and techniques, including the use of graphic organizers, class projects, functional routines, duties at a job or assignments in class.

Students will use areas in their life as motivators when taking a large task and breaking it down into achievable steps.

Introduction to Employment II will continue to provide students with an understanding of the soft skills related to employment. In the second semester an emphasis is placed on the importance of communication when it comes to getting hired and maintaining employment. Students will understand the importance of both verbal and non-verbal communication skills in the workplace. Students will continue to fine tune their resume, obtain letters of recommendations, develop a “Me in 30 seconds” speech and practice interviewing skills throughout the semester.

The semester will conclude with a mock interview. Students will also review their Career Exploration Portfolios and identify potential internship areas they might be interested in exploring during their last year in the program.

PAES® Lab (Practical Assessment Exploration System) 
During the second year, students' continuation of the PAES lab job tasks and assessments provides students with information of which strand they have aptitude. The PAES® lab is a research-based, functional skills curriculum designed with an embedded formative assessment of career potential and employability skills. It identifies functional skill levels, potential career interest, aptitude for community based employment and work behavior strengths and barriers to success in the workplace.

The classroom is transformed into a simulated work environment where individuals learn work-related problem solving skills and proper work behavior (arriving on time, completing tasks independently and in a timely manner, asking for help, appropriate use of equipment and maintaining a safe work station).

The students will gain insight into job skills and real work job responsibilities as well as develop a greater understanding of their learning style and training needs for future employment.

Students practice reading cues and understanding the nuances of social situations. Topics include non-verbal communication (body language), conversational skills in different social settings, and listening. Students begin to explore identifying how others feel by reading their emotions. Students use the circle of friendship graphic organizers to identify levels of conversation starting with small talk and progressing through the levels to more personal topics of conversation.

Students begin to shape stories to tell, relay information and give directions all to expand their repertoire of conversation. The class ends with a group project they complete collaboratively as a group.

Social Skills labs include Peer Mentors, college students from various departments on the college campus, working with students to provide opportunities to practice concepts taught in SOS class.

Students learn through the use of natural supports to generalize concepts taught from class.

This course is an introduction to basic applied math emphasizing how to use math skills in real life situations such as buying a car, creating a budget, renting an apartment, and paying taxes. Students will focus on the decision making process related to earning and spending money. The students learn about creating a budget and living within their means. The course will also emphasize the cost of living in an apartment, purchasing a car, securing a loan, and utilizing banking services. Practical applications such as utilizing an ATM card, writing checks, opening a bank account, understanding taxes, and deciding to purchase items on credit will also be covered.

Making home purchases, creating a home and grocery budget, calculating monthly renting from a weekly salary, and how to determine if one’s paycheck is accurate are also topics covered in this workshop.

Students continue to update their individual stress management portfolio as their practice unfolds in all areas of their programming. Students increase their tolerance of stress as they learn and utilize strategies that garner results in combating stress.

Individualized academic supports are designed to assist students in identifying and utilizing effective strategies in order to foster success across all aspects of their BRIDGES classes. Students practice using and generalizing these strategies in the areas of planning, organization, time management and problem-solving when completing school work and classroom projects. Students can also hone various stress management and coping strategies. Students continue updating and refining their Person Centered Plan (PCP).

Students choose from the SUNY Orange roster of classes one of particular interest to them and attend the class as an auditing participant. Students are encouraged to choose classes within their chosen area of vocational focus or personal areas of interest for enrichment.