Wagar works!
Despite the barriers that neurodivergent adults continue to face in the labour market, the belief at Wagar, an adult education centre with the English Montreal School Board (EMSB), is that neurodivergent people have many abilities, strengths and attributes that would enhance any work environment.
The Sociovocational Integration (SVI) program at Wagar has over 100 semi-skilled trades for its students to pick from, and empowers individuals to work, earn and belong by focusing on meaningful employment. Our students can try different types of employment and cultivate the soft skills necessary for successful work integration.
Most recently, Wagar SVI students have partnered up with Moisson Montréal to gain real-world work experience and develop a variety of skills, such as communication, teamwork, time management and problem solving, as well as hands-on skills such as food processing, sorting, packaging and taking inventory. Students have successfully gained competitive employment in inclusive and supportive companies like Lufa Farms, CBS Maintenance, Merenda, the Rose Bowl and most recently SurgMed.
Over the years, Wagar’s job coach has ac-quired a variety of placements and training opportunities for our students. They first visit each potential worksite to do a work place and skills assessment. The job coach then establishes the environmental needs, tasks and physical demands of the job, and then matches them with student skillset, interest and ability. They also negotiate for accommodation if needed, support students to advocate for their needs and sensitize employers and coworkers to inclusive practices.
Wagar also has placements within the EMSB with cafeteria services and with Inspirations, as well as a range of community placements in technology-related industries, furniture making and finishing, restaurants, daycares, bakeries, landscaping, dog grooming, equipment management, general maintenance, and door and window assembly, to name a few.
Jennifer Campbell is a special education consultant with Adult Education and Vocational Services, and Tyler Wood is a Sociovocational Integration job coach at Wagar Adult Education Centre, both with the English Montreal School Board.
Wagar, Miriam Foundation Partner Up
Wagar Adult Education Centre services adult learners in a vast array of environments. One of its newer initiatives is The Social Skills Program, also known as The Supper Club, which has been created in partnership with the Miriam Foundation, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of individuals with autism and intellectual disabilities by providing resources, programs and services.
Two evenings per week, neurodivergent students of all ages come together to socialize, learn and share a meal. The program is facilitated by two support staff and a cook provided by the Miriam Foundation and a teacher from Wagar. The program fosters a sense of belonging, enhances personal and social skills and builds connections.
– Jennifer Campbell
