An invaluable help over the years!

November 08, 2022

This initiative, which we first joined 5 years ago, has brought us to where we are today. In this blog article, we share the impact that our collaboration with POLYBEL Secondary School has had on the company and on each student's journey. Read on to learn all about our involvement to date.

Each year, the POLYBEL School—located in Beloeil on the south shore of Montreal—welcomes young people with learning and adjustment difficulties, including students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD).

Classes of all different levels accommodate these young people with specialized pathways such as the Work Preparation Training (WPT).

The goal of this training program is to help these young people develop attitudes and skills that are conducive to the current job market. Through internships, these young people acquire different work experiences related to semi-specialized trades that they’ll have the chance to put into practice after their training.

This means these groups are constantly looking for work placements that will allow students to gain hands-on experience and eventually land a job when the experience is positive for both parties.

KLIIN first had the pleasure of partnering with POLYBEL students during the 2018-2019 school year. The classroom teachers and special educators integrated a workspace aimed at developing skills according to each individual's abilities. A production line was set up to achieve finished products, ready to ship to stores. The students were evaluated on quality of work performed, respect for the directives, appropriate use of equipment, level of precision and meticulousness, consideration of company profitability, etc. We’re proud to say there’s a good chance many of the products currently on store shelves were assembled by these students.

With KLIIN’s growing visibility, we’ve made it our mission to help teachers communicate their needs in finding internships and long-term employment for these students. KLIIN has greatly benefitted from our partnership with these students—and in the spirit of giving back, we hope to be able to integrate new and rewarding platforms for the young people enrolled in this program.

On a personal level, it’s been an extremely rewarding experience.

Whether you're an employee, employer, friend, or supporter, spread the word that it's crucial to offer them opportunities for advancement

Not only does your company benefit from undiscovered talent, but this project is rewarding for your company, your employees, and yourself.

A nice gesture to support the development of these young people who have so much to offer!

Companies here in the Montérégie region, show your support!

If you’re interested, please contact us at info@kliin.co

What does an internship at KLIIN look like??

2020-2021

When we moved into our new offices in late summer 2020, we had the opportunity to host one or more Polybel students for an external internship. The adventure began in September 2020 with Samuel and Nathaniel working as interns in our office and warehouse. Their diligence and hard work amazed us week after week.

This year marked the first edition of Polybel's signature KLIIN, which aims to raise funds for the class to purchase materials or equipment. Each KLIIN sold = $2 donated to the class. Sales of the KLIIN designed by Angélique, a student in our interns' class, allowed us to give Polybel a total of $500 to buy a shredder.

2021-2022

Who will we have the chance to work with? That’s the question we asked ourselves at the beginning of this school year.

It turned out Félix and Simon filled our internship positions for the 2021-2022 year. We quickly realized we wouldn’t have to worry about any tasks left in the hands of our interns. Great execution from Simon and impeccable quality control from Félix made them the "MVP" team of the year.

With summer fast approaching, Félix, who graduated at the end of that year, found himself without a job for the summer. Thanks to the unparalleled dedication of Maude, an educator in the class who volunteered her time over the summer, Félix was able to continue working for a few weeks. Together, they prepared your online orders all summer long. That's what we call having your heart in the right place! This amazing duo not only gave us a huge boost, but also amazed us with the progress Félix made on his non-verbal communication challenge.

For the second year in a row, we collaborated with the school to produce a KLIIN in their image that would help them raise funds. This time, it was Simon's turn to create the superhero drawing. If you’d like one, there are still a few units left right here.

We asked ourselves the question: What does the year 2023 hold for us?

You can contribute in many ways—by welcoming an intern, or by purchasing a KLIIN x POLYBEL reusable cleaning cloth.

By supporting us, know that you’re enabling students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to complete tasks that give them a great sense of accomplishment and form an essential part of their journey.

2022-2023

Welcome, Clovis! From his first day in this new environment, surrounded by new people, he’s been able to keep his cool and get down to business.

paddleboard kliin

Productive and autonomous, Clovis shines when he walks in the door. His motivation allows us to give him the opportunity to reach new goals week after week. We discover a new side of Clovis through each new challenge he faces.

It was also exhilarating to see him come to do his internship unaccompanied! A first!

Sincerely one of the most beautiful things we’ve had the privilege to participate in!

We promise you won't regret opening your doors to these talented and engaging young people.

Team KLIIN

Important resources:

Autism Monteregie : Sensibilisation des milieux (autismemonteregie.org)

Quebec Autism Federation : https://www.autisme.qc.ca/

Pre-work training : Apprenti-Stage : un gage de réussite! | Centre de services scolaire du Val-des-Cerfs - Conjuguons nos forces ! (gouv.qc.ca)