Training.
The Pathfinder Student Learning Program runs throughout the school year, with summer work offered to students who qualify and are able to arrange transportation.
Intensive classroom instruction.
HOW IT WORKS
Our student learning program begins with 4-6 weeks of unpaid, intensive classroom instruction. Students are tested on 15 modules and must pass a comprehensive final exam before being allowed on the production floor.
Once our students have completed their in-class training, they spend the rest of the academic year working alongside our skilled team on the production floor, learning how to operate a variety of tools and equipment in each of our manufacturing areas. Students work one three-hour session each day, Monday through Friday, earning both minimum wage and credits toward graduation. A final 2-week instructional module delivered just prior to program completion focuses on personal finance and career preparation.
In order to join the program, students must agree to the following:
- In addition to participating in their daily training session, they will continue attending their regular classes.
- They will remain drug- and alcohol-free for the duration of their time in the program.
- They will conduct themselves in a professional manner
Pathfinder Manufacturing is committed to providing the highest level of workplace safety for our employees and students. We are proud to be certified through The Washington Department of Labor and Industries’ Safety Through Achieving Recognition Together (START) program, which helps organizations improve their workplace safety culture and reduce hazards, illnesses, and injuries.
Our students are identified by their school counselors as being at high risk for school drop-out and in acute need of help in developing skills for self-sufficiency. Our students come from all backgrounds, abilities, and social, developmental, or physical difficulties.
Most of our students are on an Individual Education Plan (IEP). IEPs are comprehensive, tailored plans intended to help students overcome physical, learning, or mental challenges in order to succeed in school. An IEP will specify individualized goals for the student as well as any special support needed to help them achieve those goals. Pathfinder Manufacturing’s student learning program is a part of our students’ IEPs.
We are always welcoming applications for new student learners and encourage educational institutions to contact us directly in order to discuss the possibility of becoming a program partner.
For more information, please contact:
students@pathfinder-mfg.org
(425) 349-1800 ext. 205
