Meeting the Need

1
Meeting the Need

• Workplace English in the
• Green Industry

2
California Community Colleges Economic and
Workforce Development Program

• Job Development Incentive Training Fund(JDIF)
  grant
• Funds training projects but provides incentives
  for employers to train their workforce
• Priority projects are those that create move-up
  opportunities for low income, unemployed, or
  CalWORKS participants

3
Landscape Industry

• Groundskeeper/landscapers among top occupations
  in LMI growth projections
• In California, Green Industry represents 12
  billion in sales and 130,000 employees
• Labor pool is primarily Spanish speaking with
  little education
• Employers need skilled employees to grow

4
JDIF Grant Program

• Entry level training
• Beginning landscape maintenance training
• Job preparation and development
• Incumbent worker training
• Irrigation systems
• Pruning
• ESL
• Supervision

5
Owner/Manager Classes

• Train the Trainer
• Vocational Spanish

6
Presenters

• Christina Oborn, JDIF Program Directorchristina_o
  born_at_wvmccd.cc.ca.us
• Marji Knowles, ESL Faculty, Mission College
  Workplace Learning Resource Centerknowles_at_pobox.c
  om
• Valerie Fiechter, ESL Instructor and Curriculum
  Developervaleriefiechter_at_hotmail.com

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Language Needs Analysis or Literacy Audit

• Met with JDIF Advisory Board
• Visited Landscape Companies
• Listened to crew instructions
• Observed wrap-up sessions
• Talked to receptionists, HR, crew leaders, owners
• Interacted with crew on the job
• Talked to residential clients and property
  managers
• Gathered company charts, memos, posters,
  instructions training materials

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Orientation and Data Collection

• Placement test on site
• Participant data on site
• EWD information sheet
• Spanish information version

9
Skill Assessment

• Tried to use CASAS ESL 20
• Created customized assessment
• Included other factors
• Age
• Years of schooling in home country
• Length of time in U.S.
• Amount of education in U.S.
• Ability to follow directions

10
Tabulated Results

• Used results to divide into groups
• Pre literate in Spanish or English
• Beginner
• High Beginner
• Intermediate
• Community College ESL
• Made appropriate referrals

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Curriculum Development

• Drew on past experiences and curriculum
• Retirement community class
• Correctional facility program
• JDIF entry level landscape training class
• Scoured ESL and VESL textbooks for
  landscape-related materials and lessons
• Used information and materials from Needs
  Analysis and Skill Assessment

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Students

• Gender male
• Native language Spanish
• Country of Origin Mexico, El Salvador
• Education majority did not have h.s. diploma
• Age 18 - 45
• Length of time in U.S. 2 years to 23 years

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Class Logistics

• Location
• On site
• At college
• Duration
• 1.25 to 2 hours,
• Twice a week
• 10-12 weeks
• 30-36 hours

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Course Overview
15
Sample Lesson
16
Simple Present TenseExamples and an Exercise

• I eat breakfast every morning.
• You drive to work every day.
• He mows the grass every Wednesday.
• They trim the trees every month.
• Exercise 1. Fill in the blanks with the correct
  form of the verb.
• 1. Juan __________ (rake) the leaves every day.
• 2. You __________ (prune) the hedges every
  Thursday.
• 3. My wife __________ (pack) my lunch every
  morning.
• 4. I __________ (fill) in my timecard every
  week.
• 5. My boss __________ (give) me work every day.
• 6. Valerie __________ (teach) us English on
  Tuesdays and Thursdays.

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Dictation 8

• Directions
• Cover the rest of this paper with another piece
  of paper. Look at the teacher. Listen
  andrepeat two times. Then write what you heard.
  Finally, move the paper and check your answers.
• 1. ______________________________________________
  _______________________
• What do you do?
• 2. ______________________________________________
  _______________________
• I am a landscaper.
• 3. ______________________________________________
  _______________________
• What do you do at work every day?
• 4. ______________________________________________
  _______________________
• I take care of plants and flowers.
• 5. ______________________________________________
  _______________________
• What are you doing right now?
• 6. ______________________________________________
  _______________________
• I am listening and writing.

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Evaluation

• Pre and Post Tests
• Vocabulary
• Dictation
• Sentence writing
• Listening/speaking

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Project Outcomes

• VESL Class For credit
• Transition to college programs
• Community or Contract Education
• WIB authorized training program
• Partner with regional occupational program
• Develop or link with college horticulture
  certificate and degree program