The first step in developing a satisfying career is to know what you’re good at and what you enjoy. Isles uses the Coin Career Guidance System to help students assess their aptitudes and interests in different careers and develop career goals. Isles also helps students explore options for higher education.
IYI offers training in several areas and hopes to expand its range when its new home is completed:
Construction: IYI provides all students with in-depth skills in the construction trade, where students spend 40% of their time either learning the fundamentals or doing hands-on construction on a vacant home. At the job site, the trainer/student ratio ranges from 1:7 to 1:15. Upon completion of IYI job training, students receive industry-recognized credentials from the National Center for Construction Education and Research.
Construction training, using the standard National Center for Construction Education and Research curriculum, includes:
- CPR, first-aid, and OSHA certification.
- Classroom work in basic construction math and measurement that is reinforced on the job site.
- Practical experience using hand and power tools and completing basic construction tasks, as well as “gut
rehab” work at the job site. - Opportunities to learn every aspect of rehab, including specialized skills in electrical, plumbing, masonry, and other trades, taught by local industry partners.
- Techniques that promote energy efficiency and historic preservation.
Fiber optics: Isles prepares students for this growing local industry through industry-backed C-Tech training, where high performers can be certified as fiber optic cable installers and service technicians.
Office work: Students can earn the International Computer Driver’s License, a valuable certification in Microsoft Word, Excel, Access, e-mail, and the Internet. Students also learn skills for office administration like word processing, office systems, and filing.
Computer repair: Students learn to test PCs, strip them down to their components, rebuild them, and then reload the operating system and all other software.