Stepping up to fill the language gap
In the last two years, Massachusetts has been the only state in the nation to experience an out-migration of residents. And over the last five years, only the rapid increase in our immigrant population kept the Massachusetts workforce from shrinking. With an aging population, the bottom line is we need the new immigrants to increasingly fill the jobs that will keep our state’s economy strong.
Public enemy number one when it comes to the effective integration of new immigrants into our economy is the language gap.
For example, a MassInc. Research report compares 1999 annual earnings and proficiency in English with education levels. Language trumps education, even at the highest levels of scholastic attainment. A foreign-born person who spoke English only, possessing a high school diploma or GED, earned $25,317, compared to an average of $20,761 for a foreign-born person with a master’s or higher degree who did not speak English well.
While the waiting list for ESL classes in the Greater Worcester area is sometimes estimated at 4,000 to 5,000 people, the unseen need is even greater. A 2003 report estimates that about 10 percent of Greater Worcester’s foreign born population, now at about 75,000 - need ESL services. Even higher figures have been cited for people who failed to get on the waiting list. And they’re desperate for help, according to the Literacy Volunteers of Greater Worcester, a local non-profit group that offers classes. Attendance rates at the ESL classes that are offered are in the 90 percent range - unheard of in other segments of adult education, and an impressive figure when most are working adults holding down at least one full time job.
The LVGW has doubled its capacity from 125 students last year to 220 this year with the inception of a Literacy Academy. But that can’t begin to keep up with the need. Neither can offerings through the state college system, which now must charge foreign-born students out of
state tuition rates. Quinsigamond Community College President Gail Carberry, who notes the dedication and drive of economically-pinched foreign-born students who carry their textbooks in plastic grocery bags, is searching for solutions. Quinsig’s ESL waiting list alone is now at 1,000.
Local companies should follow the lead of innovative corporations such as Citizens Bank, which directly supports ESL initiatives in the Greater Boston area, where it has a concentration of branches.
Here’s what Central Massachusetts businesses could do to play an active voice in making this training happen.
• Offer classes at their facilities
• Help underwrite additional classes at new locations
• Be a political voice for this issue with state and federal finding sources
Massachusetts’ immigrant population is growing with each passing year, and the exodus of in-state residents is likely to continue, making the education of our new workforce all the more vital. More mid and smaller-sized firms need to take a leadership role in closing the language barrier and helping immigrants be better contributors to their companies, and our society.
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