Training LEP Workers for Good Manufacturing Jobs
Instituto del Progreso Latino
Chicago, Illinois

Instituto has been providing social, educational and cultural services to the Latino community in Chicago for almost 30 years. It runs a bilingual manufacturing bridge program for LEP workers. (A bridge program is one that helps participants gain either the language and/or other prerequisites for a higher level occupational training program.) This program, of approximately 440 hours, provides both a beginning ESL and an intermediate VESL class to prepare workers to take a bilingual course in advanced manufacturing offered in partnership with the Westside Technical Institute, part of the Richard J. Daley Community College.

The goals of the program are job advancement for incumbent LEP manufacturing workers and placement of dislocated workers (most of whom have manufacturing experience) in advanced manufacturing. These goals remain viable even with the downturn in the manufacturing sector because of continuing shortages in critical manufacturing skill areas. At least 90% of the LEP participants are Spanish speaking.

Funding for the program has come from a variety of sources including employer fees, public workforce dollars and foundation grants. In fiscal 2001-2002, 77 workers completed the VESL program. Of these, 53 completed the bilingual manufacturing course with 73% placed in manufacturing jobs with an average wage of $10.15 per hour. Instituto tracks employment retention at 30, 90 and 180 days. At the 180-day reckoning, approximately 80% retain their jobs. According to Tom Dubois, Workforce Programs Director of Instituto, those who leave their jobs after placement usually do so because they have found better, higher-paying jobs.