Training for success: OCTC, International Center partner for new ESL trade program

Mar. 15—Owensboro Community & Technical College's Workforce Solutions and the International Center have collaborated to introduce a program for students learning English as a second language (ESL).

ESL-to-Welder, which began March 1, offers refugee and ESL students a way to advance their English-speaking skills while preparing for career opportunities.

There are currently 10 students enrolled in the program, which is on Week 3.

"Many newly-arrived refugees have limited English proficiency, which necessarily limits their employment options," said Lindsey Kafer, director of adult education services at OCTC.

Diane Ford, site director for the International Center, approached Kafer after noticing the lack of time students have to attend ESL classes while also maintaining a full-time work schedule.

"It was hard to figure out how to solve that problem because they work long hours every day," Kafer said. "What we were hoping was to create some sort of program where students could advance their English and gain a skill for work that would allow them the opportunity for more sustainable-wage employment."

Ford said the reason the program is focused on welding is because looking at the demographic of the International Center clients, especially the Afghan population, there were factors to consider.

"We have Congressionally-approved funding, more for Afghans, that we need to use in a responsible way," she said. "We have this money, the Afghans have experience in education, and many of them in welding, and they need English."

Employment is the No. 1 barrier for new refugee arrivals in the community, and English proficiency is the N. 1 barrier for employment, Ford said.

"We're helping remove those barriers, and we're doing that in one fell swoop," she said. "Our clients, on average, lived in a refugee camp for 18 years before they came here. Most of them, that's all that they've known. I think they deserve an opportunity to make something of their life and advance skills that they already have."

Ford said the program is not limited to Afghan refugees, but is open to any ESL student and International Center client with the ability to participate in the program.

The main goal of the program, Ford said, is to give International Center clients the opportunity to advance their skills and knowledge in a field they already have experience and interest in, and attain English skills that are necessary to successfully integrate into the community, while making connections with agencies outside of the center.

"That's important to us, and they feel that with OCTC," Ford said. "It's important that we continue to bring people into the fold and show them that it's not just us welcoming them here, and we're not just checking the boxes, we're going above and beyond to help them. We want them to thrive here. We don't want them to just 'be' here."

Kafer said the program is centered around the students and wanting them to be successful.

"We're convinced that stronger individuals build stronger families and stronger families build a stronger community," she said. "This is a win-win. It's a win for students, it's a win for employers, it's a win for the larger Owensboro community to have families that are more self-sufficient."

Ford said she believes this program gives the ESL students an opportunity to feel valued and respected in their place of employment.

"Sometimes when you come as a refugee, you're not given the opportunity to be in a job where you feel respected," she said. "So many of them came from positions in life in their former country where they were respected, and they had a good life and had skills and a purpose, but they get here and they can't find their purpose."

During the ESL-to-Welder program, students attend eight weeks of "intensive" ESL classes, followed by 12 weeks of paired ESL and competency-based instruction in WLD 152.

"The competency-based class is great for an English language learner, because as long as they can have the conversation with the instructor and they can demonstrate the skill, that's what's important," Kafer said.

Once students complete the course, they will have earned a Welder Helper certificate and the language skills needed for basic work-related conversations.

"Our English language training as we prepare them is around safety in the lab, communicating with your instructor, communicating with supervisors," Kafer said. "Preparing them to be on the job doing this kind of work and preparing them to be successful in this class."

Kafer said the eight week ESL section of the program does not count toward college credits, but the 12-week welding session gives students five credit hours and the Welder Helper certificate.

For more information on the ESL-to-Welder program, contact Kafer at 270-686-3781 or Ford at 270-683-3423, ext. 217.