Live in the United Kingdom at Lighthouse Futures Trust in Leeds. Active customer contracts in Canada. Installed presence in Guam. Performance-based assessment that translates across education frameworks, programs, and qualification systems, built on instrument-level peer review.
Where PAES is live today
PAES has operated since 1989 and is used across thousands of schools in the United States. In recent years we have extended the footprint outside the US as education and workforce systems globally look for defensible evidence of student readiness for work.
- United Kingdom. Live at Lighthouse Futures Trust in Leeds, a specialist college for SEND learners aged 16 to 25. The PAES Lab is embedded in Lighthouse's 16 to 19 Study Program and supported internship pathway. Read the Lighthouse case study for the full story.
- Canada. Active customer contracts. The PAES model plugs into provincial special education frameworks and disability-employment services contracts. Includes validation work coming out of Alberta that we use in our research base.
- Guam. Installed presence. PAES has been delivering in Guam schools for several years as part of the US territories coverage.
Designed to fit SEND, EHCP, and UK transition
In the UK, PAES outputs align with the statutory and inspection frameworks providers work within:
- Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs). PAES evidence supports the "preparation for adulthood" outcomes in Section F (provision) and Section E (outcomes), particularly the employment and independent living strands from Year 9 onward.
- SEND Code of Practice: 0 to 25 years. The Code requires transition planning from Year 9, with preparation-for-adulthood outcomes through age 25. PAES provides the structured evidence base that reviews and annual update meetings depend on.
- Ofsted inspection frameworks. For specialist provision, evidence of personalized pathways and employment preparation matters. PAES generates that evidence as a by-product of the assessment cycle.
- 16 to 19 Study Programs. Meaningful work-related learning is a Study Program requirement. PAES fits directly into the program and can underwrite Study Program compliance.
- Adult Learning Needs (ALN) in Wales and Additional Support for Learning (ASL) in Scotland. PAES outputs support Individual Development Plans (IDPs) and Scotland's ASL planning on the same basis.
Who we work with internationally
- Specialist colleges and specialist post-16 institutions (SPIs)
- Mainstream and special schools with SEND units or resourced provision
- Local authorities commissioning SEND provision
- Further education (FE) colleges delivering 16 to 19 High Needs provision and supported internships
- International schools with SEN / inclusion departments
- Government agencies exploring vocational assessment reform
- Mission-led non-profits delivering disability-employment pathways
International adaptability
PAES is delivered in American English, with a UK English variant available. The instrument (scoring framework, job cards, five vocational areas) is stable and does not require localization. What varies by country is task context: UK electrical fittings, metric measurements, local currency in the Business area. Program materials are localized on a partner-by-partner basis.
Our current priority international markets are the United Kingdom (active) and the wider Middle East and North Africa region, where inbound interest is growing. If you are a potential partner, educator, or decision-maker in a market we don't yet cover, reach out. We are actively exploring partnerships with mission-led organizations that combine local mandate and operating scale with the PAES methodology, IP, and implementation playbook.
Case study: Lighthouse Futures Trust
Lighthouse Futures Trust is a specialist college in Leeds for SEND learners. In 2025 they became the first UK site to install a PAES Lab. The lab now underwrites Lighthouse's 16 to 19 Study Program and supported internship pathway. Outputs feed into EHCP reviews, annual transition planning, and family conversations.
Read the full Lighthouse case study
Our international team
Rebekkah Swisher, Co-founder & President. Leads international partnerships, with experience collaborating with research institutions in the Gulf region from prior roles.
Rory Anderson, Gulf Region Director. Based between London and Los Angeles, with five years of operating experience in the Gulf region including Saudi Arabia. Closes partnership conversations in MENA and supports UK rollout alongside Lighthouse.
For international partnership enquiries, contact the international team directly.
Next step
Contact the international teamRead the Lighthouse case study