U.S. immigrants are likely to stay at jobs with English-language programs
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U.S. immigrant workers whose employers offer programs to learn English are extremely likely to stay at their jobs, per a new survey.
Why it matters: Immigrants are critical to economic growth and are filling major gaps in the labor market.
- Yet only about 4% of adult English learners receive language instruction, according to EnGen, a mobile platform that works with companies and the public sector to provide relevant English lessons.
Zoom in: EnGen works with major companies like Walmart, Chobani, Gap and Chipotle to help them "upskill" their workers by teaching them English skills relevant to their jobs.
- Founder Katie Brown says that although the current anti-immigrant climate makes it hard for companies to openly talk about providing resources to their employees, many quickly jump on board because they need to retain a strong workforce.
- "The multilingual workforce is a largely untapped talent pool, and I'm able to show that by removing English as a barrier, you can unlock access to really rich talent," Brown says.
By the numbers: About 2,300 people in English-language programs through their employers responded to a survey recently.
- 83% of respondents said they planned to stay with their company because of the language program it offered.
- 80% said they achieved a work or social goal as a result of the program.
What they're saying: Chelsea Miller, director of education and opportunity for Walmart, says the company's English-language program is one of its most popular benefits.
- More than 6,500 workers have participated in the program since 2018, Miller says. Most of that time has been through a partnership with EnGen.
- "We're trying to create pathways for associates to move into jobs that have greater responsibility and higher pay, and one component of that is mastery of English," Miller tells Axios Latino.
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