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New Direction Career Services, Inc.
Paid Work-Based Learning

Earn money while building real experience

Our Paid Work-Based Learning program pairs students with local host businesses for hands-on On-the-Job Training — with support every step of the way.

A student gaining paid work experience through New Direction Career Services
Paid — earn while you learn

What students can do

  • Be matched with experiences based on interests, travel radius, schedule, and age
  • Interview with support from a job coach
  • Earn money while working in 6–8 week experiences
  • Complete multiple experiences to build soft skills, transferable hard skills, resumes, and community connections

How it works

From first conversation to a completed work experience, students are supported by an NDCS specialist and job coach throughout.

  1. 1

    Build a customized plan

    An NDCS specialist meets one-on-one with each student to develop a plan based on their preferences and goals.

  2. 2

    Match & interview

    Students are matched with a host business by interest, schedule, travel radius, and age, and interview with job-coach support.

  3. 3

    On-the-Job Training

    Students earn money during 6–8 week experiences (averaging one to two months) with a job coach on the first day and regular check-ins.

  4. 4

    Build a foundation

    Students gain experience, work references, and community connections — and may repeat participation during eligibility.

Students on the job

Every photo here is a real NDCS participant at a real host business — animal care, food distribution, facilities, retail, and community events, with a job coach alongside them.

  • An NDCS job coach and a student going over worksite paperwork together
  • A participant working a kennel gate during a placement at an animal shelter
  • A student in professional dress seated with a document during interview practice
  • A participant speaking into a microphone at a First Friday community event
  • A student ready to begin a facilities task with a broom and mop bucket
  • A participant helping run a community food distribution, produce boxes staged on a cart
  • A Work-Based Learning participant in professional dress at a host-business worksite
  • A participant coiling an extension cord while handling equipment at an animal-care worksite
  • A participant setting up the refreshments table at a community event
  • A job coach walking a student through a work document one-on-one
  • A participant coiling an extension cord in the kennel corridor at a worksite
  • Participants representing New Direction Career Services at a First Friday community event

Interested in work-based learning?

Reach out to talk through a student's interests and goals — we'll explain the next steps.

Contact NDCS