The program did not have set times for students to move into a job placement. Rather, Carrie said she looked at each student's performance in the coffee shop and their job readiness, which was gauged by the student's ability to master the coffee shop jobs. But it didn't seem to be the practical skills that were being measured as much as the students' soft skills. Carrie said she wanted to see the students demonstrate an ability to solve problems independently, ask questions when clarification was needed, and prioritize tasks. In addition, the students had to be able to make accommodations in their home schedule in order to participate in a placement. Normally, students were in a placement two or three mornings each week, and missed the coffee shop and employability portions of the program. Although the placements were not intended to change their established schedules, students sometimes had to travel to get to their placements or arrive a little earlier than the program start time, which was 9:00 am.

According to the instructor, Carrie, a job placement was an opportunity for students to gain knowledge about the workplace and workplace culture; it was the first workplace experience many students ever had; and it gave students a chance to build a resume. Although the students were participating in a job setting (the coffee shop), there was also a need for them to participate in a work setting outside the supports of the program in order to gain confidence and become more independent. In their job placements, students had to communicate with people they had never met before; depend on themselves, without the direct support of the program, its teachers and students; learn new skills for the specific placement setting; experience a period of diminished confidence that must be rebuilt during the first month of their placement; and encounter a variety of new people who may not always be supportive and accepting. She also emphasized that the placement experience helped students to develop "soft skills" such as problem–solving, adaptability, working with others, and confidence. Very little emphasis was placed on the development of literacy and numeracy in the placements since most of the activities did not require a high degree of literacy and numeracy ability.