Training LEP Workers for Good Manufacturing Jobs
The Candy Institute/ Food Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

The Candy Institute/Food Chicago is a coalition of food processing companies, workers, government and community organizations that are committed to strengthening and retaining the food processing industry in the Chicago metropolitan region. A major local industry, it includes approximately 900 food manufacturing companies employing 57,000 workers and contributing $17 billion to the local economy. The Candy Institute takes a broad approach to its work by linking education and workforce development to economic development and industrial retention for the industry. It has part-need with training providers to offer the industry customized VESL classes with the goals of improving communication on the job, reducing manufacturing errors and improving productivity.

The majority of the workers who participated in the VESL pro-grams are Latino, primarily Mexican. Of the 200 Latinos who participated in a job-related language skills program at one candy manufacturing company, 140 had limited English proficiency. Most had been in the United States more than sixteen years but had previously had few opportunities to study English. Approximately half had at least a high school diploma. The majority of the participants’ literacy levels, nevertheless, were below eighth grade. 99% of those in the program completed it and, as a result, were organized into redesigned production teams. The majority of the participants achieved gains on the NYSE test and the BEST test (two commonly used tests of English language proficiency). 99% of the workers were successful in passing an occupational language achievement test, consisting of correct identification of words from a company list.

Workers did not get raises directly on completion but benefited from a new incentive system that was implemented along with the new work teams. The major outcomes of this program were measured in terms of productivity increases for the employer. Most departments in this plant experienced a 30% increase in productivity after the training and restructuring.