Hispanics

The Manufacturing Institute has joined forces with the Corporation for a Skilled Workforce (CSW) to develop and deploy best practices to promoting the Education and Advancement of Hispanic Immigrant Workers in America, a project done in partnership with National Council for Workforce Education and Excelencia in Education, and funded by the Lumina Foundation. The project focuses on higher education access, advancement, and economic opportunities for one of the fastest growing segments of the American workforce. This initiative engages key industry, and public and private sector stakeholders, familiarizes them with important research findings, and provides them a forum to begin to help shape and promote innovative policies and practices.

English Language Proficiency

The Manufacturing Institute partnered with Retention Education to design and implement an English language proficiency program to boost literacy, educational attainment, and career advancement among Texas’ Hispanic workforce. The Institute deployed English for Advanced Manufacturing and the Skilled Trades, an English acquisition program targeting underemployed and unemployed Hispanic workers, to develop the core English language skills required for entry-level careers in the advanced manufacturing and skilled trades workforce. The English for Advanced Manufacturing and the Skilled Trades curriculum was built on the proven and innovative language acquisition program, Sed de Saber. Sed de Saber, which translates to “Thirst for Knowledge,” has been designed, in partnership with industry, to be the most effective learning system available for the U.S. Hispanic community’s acquisition of the English language.

The Manufacturing Institute designed and implemented a partnership of employers, manufacturing associations, community colleges, and workforce investment boards to support the successful development and deployment in targeted regions, San Antonio, Houston, and Laredo, Texas.

The objective of the project was to train 350 underemployed or unemployed Hispanic workers in foundational English language skills as a requisite for advanced manufacturing and skilled trades employment.

Key Partners

Texas Workforce Commission
Retention Education, Inc.
Community College Partners
Alamo Colleges
Lone Star Community College
Laredo Community College
South Texas College
The University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College (UTB/TSC)
Industry Partners
Allied Forwarding Corporation
AM-MEX Products Inc.
B.A. Forwarding Co., Inc.
Braniff Forwarding
Darri Guerrero & Co. LLC
EMU Plastics
Gulf States Toyota
Hi-Tech Plastics
Lancer
Multimodal Logistics, Inc.
Palmer Steel Supply Inc.
San Antonio Shoe
Tindall Corporation
UTB/TSC (Rich Products)

Resources