About

ENGLISH @ WORK is an Austin, Texas-based nonprofit whose mission is to provide essential English language instruction at the workplace in order to increase employees’ opportunities for improved quality of life and to increase employers’ competitive advantage.

OUR MODEL

Our vision is to build a community where language proficiency gives all people access to opportunity. To achieve this vision, we engage employers and employees in the curriculum development process, creating lessons that are specific to the workplace and to students’ job descriptions. 

Classes are taught for an hour to an hour and a half, two to three times a week over a 24-week period. Course titles include “Workplace Basics,” “Customer Service,” “Workplace Health and Safety,” and “Employee Responsibilities.”

WHO WE SERVE

Since our 2005 founding, we have served over 700 local immigrant and refugee workers at 30 businesses in the service, healthcare, and construction industries.  Our students speak over 20 different languages and come from 30 different countries, but they have all have one common goal – to speak English well enough to do a good job and help support their families.

THE NEED

There are over 147,000 people living in Central Texas who are of limited English proficiency and that number continues to grow. Of this population, 8,000 individuals work service jobs that require them to know a specific type of English. Limited proficiency puts these workers at a greater risk of:

  • Getting stuck in minimum wage positions, despite their skills and tenure,
  • Being injured on the job,
  • Receiving poor-quality health care,
  • Having children with poor health and education outcomes,
  • Perpetuating the cycle of poverty for their families.

 

OUR SUCCESS

Our student retention rate is at 75 percent compared to that of 57 percent from traditional language providers, and our students make greater proficiency gains in less time.

In addition -

  • 75 percent of partner businesses promoted students after they participated in the program. In some cases, students increased their income by 150 percent.
  • 100 percent of partner businesses reported a positive return on investment associated with hosting the program.
  • In 2010, students at every business went on to make significant life achievements, including buying their first homes, getting their GED, enrolling in courses at Austin Community College, and attaining U.S. citizenship!

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