ESOL in the Workplace

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ESOL in the Workplace

• Meeting new challenges in Tennessees changing
  workplace

Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce
Development Division of Adult Education
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Adult Education in Tennessee
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Adult Education is a vital partner in Tennessees
workforce system

• Adult Education representative on each LWIA Board
• Adult Education representative on each Rapid
  Response team
• Direct communication and coordination with
  Dislocated Worker Services
• Fully-partnered with Career Centers

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A Growing Need
Source Analysis of 1990 and 2000 U.S. Census
data, Urban Institute,2002
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Source U.S. Bureau of the Census
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(No Transcript)
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Why ESOL in the Workplace?

• Demographic changes
• Employee turnover costs _at_ 11 billion yearly
• ISO/quality demands require a more educated
  workforce that can communicate in English
• Lack of language proficiency impacts workplace
  safety, productivity
• Limited language skillsconfinement to entry
  level jobs

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Tennessee ESOL in the Workplace
A collaborative initiative of the Tennessee
Department of Labor and Workforce Development,
Division of Adult Education, and the University
of Tennessee Center for Literacy Studies
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What is Tennessees ESOL Workplace Initiative?

• Curriculum tailored to the language needs of the
  employer
• Safety-first language skills
• Comprehensive, focused and in-depth
• Analysis of each specific job to determine which
  reading, speaking, computation and reading skills
  are critical to perform efficiently and
  effectively

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Sensitive to Business Rules and Regulations
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ESOL in the Workplace Training
Know the market
Adult Education in Tennessee uses the Malcolm
Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence as
its continuous improvement and performance
excellence tool
Know your community and workplace needs
Select your best option
Design and implement Action Plan
Study results To improve
Sustain Grow The Initiative
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Caveat

• Language acquisition is an on-going process
• It takes time to acquire and develop language and
  literacy proficiencies
• Successful ESOL Workplace programs run for
  several cycles
• Workplace literacy is an on-going process

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Beware of Hidden Costs!

• 20 turnover in business is related to basic
  skills deficiencies
• The minimum cost per new hire at entry level is
  520.00 (in banking and fast food)
• It costs a minimum of 200.00 per worker for
  training
• Language and literacy deficiencies can reduce
  productivity by 8 or more
• Lower productivity diminishes bottom line profit

Source National Alliance of Business (2001)
Spring Workforce Economics, 7(1)
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What kinds of businesses use this initiative?

• Manufacturing
• Hotel/hospitality
• Technology services
• Restaurant/food service
• Hospital
• Nursery/lawn service
• Customer service
• Any business where there are non/limited
  proficiency English speakers

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Integrating the ESOL population into the Community
A stronger, economically viable Workforce
Adult Education
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Preparing for the future..