Tufts Medical Center recognized for ESOL work

    At Tufts Medical Center (TMC), it pays — quite literally — for immigrants to study English.
    The center encourages its immigrant employees to take English classes, partly through financial incentives, and last month, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino and the English Works Campaign took note.
    The center, along with 10 other businesses, community organizations and partnerships, received the City of Boston/English Works Campaign Certificate of Recognition during a Feb. 18 ceremony.
    During the event, Menino praised the winners for their English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs.
    "I'm proud that the City of Boston has such strong partners in the ESOL community," he said. "The work that these organizations perform for our immigrants is about more than English-language classes. The strength of these award winners comes from the fact that they are helping to build better communities by investing in the immigrant workforce."
    In particular, the classes allow enrolled immigrants to acquire the English skills they need to move beyond entry-level jobs.
    "This is a personal and professional growth opportunity," Sherry Dong, the director of the Community Health Improvement Program at TMC, told the Daily.
    The English Works Campaign included TMC among the winners in honor of its partnership with the Asian American Civic Association (AACA).
    About a year and a half ago, the AACA and TMC applied for and received a three-year government grant, and now they offer three English classes and one General Educational Development training program for the center's employees. Currently, 36 individuals are enrolled in the courses.
    Dong said that the classes are already paying off. "[Participants] feel more confident and comfortable in their workplace," she said.
    Richard Goldberg, the AACA's director of education, added that the classes also help employees offer better patient care, even if it is just through basic communication.
    "[It's] better customer service, basically just small talk," Goldberg told the Daily. "Several supervisors say the understanding, the communication skills have improved."
    According to Goldberg, there is significant interest in the program, but several potential participants have trouble finding time for the classes.
    This is a common problem for ESOL efforts, particularly since new immigrants often balance several jobs.
    "The demands of [work] and raising a family make it difficult. They want to [take classes], but there's no opportunity," Goldberg said.
    To accommodate participants' schedules, classes at TMC are held on-site, which eliminates time and transportation costs. Also, half of the studies take place during the workers' free time, but the other half are during their paid hours, meaning that they receive compensation for taking the classes.
    According to Menino, the work that TMC and the AACA do is more important now than ever.
    As immigration rates swell and the recession cuts back on job opportunities, English skills can make or break a deal for immigrant workers.
    "In these difficult economic times, it is critical that business leaders understand the value of improving the English language skills of their employees," Menino said at the event. "It's not only the smart thing to do; it's also the right thing."