Workforce Development, Inc. Reading Partners Project

Purpose: To produce a customized CNA training package for English language learners
by using the Reading Partner software program; and to provide Somali immigrants with bilingual training in the field of PC network services and basic computer repair.

In its first year, this grant supported two efforts, one of which continued into the second year. The goals of both programs are to address the literacy needs of ESL families transitioning off of welfare or low paying jobs into entry-level career pathways, and to increase participants’ English and occupational vocabulary proficiency to enable career advancement and open new career pathways. The program is partially funded by the Minnesota Job Skills Partnership. The continuing program, serving Freeborn County in southeastern Minnesota, trains limited-English speaking Chicano/Latino women as certified nursing assistants. Riverland Community College provides space, training and testing. Partners including Good Samaritan Center, Thorncrest, and St. John’s Center provide clinical training, job shadowing, and employment. Adult Basic Education provides bilingual instruction – with primary instruction in English and translation into Spanish when students need clarification – to ensure that students understand all curriculum material. A centerpiece of the program is the use of interactive computer-based instructional materials developed by Workforce Development, Inc. to teach English language skills within a specific occupational context. The second program, discontinued after the first year, provided low-income workers in Olmsted County with short-term training in information technology, focusing on obtaining certification, and followed by employment plan development. The training was developed via an advisory board made up of employers, Information Technology (IT) consultants, and training institutions. The training programs provided employment opportunities paying $10/hour or more and provided a foundation for pursuing additional training to build in an IT career ladder. The program also provided on-site training, job shadowing, career counseling and case management. The Somali Resettlement Community was a partner in this program.

	Partners: (As of April 2003)
		Educational: Riverland Community College, South Central Technical College, Faribault Adult Basic Education, Albert Lea Adult Basic Education
		Employers and business organization: Good Samaritan Center, St. John’s Lutheran Home, Comfort Care Center, Thorncrest Retirement Center
		Non-Profit Organizations: Workforce Development, Inc.
		Public philanthropic, and other organizations: None
	Participants: Limited English-speaking adults
	Recruitment: Individuals are recruited by Workforce Development, Inc.’s counseling and employer outreach staff
	Training: The 15-week program includes hard and soft skills training, basic skills, computer skills, and job search skills for all participants, and training in English as a second language for over half of participants
	Support Services: In the second year, support services included transportation, uniforms, and/or immunizations for students not eligible for other programming
	Job placement, retention and advancement: All students receive help with job placement and retention, through the services of counseling and employer outreach staff, a literacy coach, and mentoring in the workplace