Limited English Skills

People with limited-English skills, including immigrants and refugees, face specific challenges in the workplace. The WDC has made reaching out to and serving them a priority, both in WorkSource Seattle-King County and in other programs and initiatives.

King County is uniquely diverse among areas of the state. Nineteen percent of King County residents are foreign-born (up from just 9 percent in 1990). About 23 percent of King County residents speak a language other than English at home; 70 percent of these—more than 282,000 people—say they speak English “less than very well” and 22%—more than 86,000 people—say they speak English “not well” or “not at all.”

In our Workforce Investment Act program for low-income adults, the percentage of participants who have limited English skills is nearly 56%, compared to only 14% in the same program statewide.

As a result, limited-English-speaking people are a key target population for our employment and training services in King County. Some examples:

WorkSource: Many WDC-funded service providers at WorkSource are community-based organizations who bring not only language expertise, but also connections to a world of culturally relevant services for immigrants and refugees. About 25% of all WorkSource staff are bilingual or multi-lingual. In 2009, WorkSource Seattle-King County added six more online Connections sites to the system to increase access for populations including those with limited English.

Reinvesting in Older Workers: One of the fastest-growing segments of the older working population in this region is immigrants and refugees who have limited English proficiency which inhibits them from securing a job and retaining a job once hired. Our new Reinvesting in Older Workers grant targets limited-English adults as one of three priority populations. ROW will fund a “bridge” curriculum to help low-level LEP older adults access, retain, and complete green-jobs training at community and technical colleges.

Greenlight Project: This new green-jobs grant is focused on the most poverty-stricken areas of Seattle. 31% of the GreenLight target population speaks a language other than English and over half of these speak English less than “very well.” GreenLight’s extensive and committed network of partners will concentrate their talents, expertise and energies to ensure that the most vulnerable populations within this area take the first step onto a new green career ladder.

Workplace Literacy: Classes at the worksite are a proven, effective mechanism for delivering literacy and basic education skills to adults. The WDC’s work-based literacy program, Literacy Works, offered working adults English classes delivered at the workplace, customized for their workplace and supported by the employer. In 2007, Literacy Works transitioned to an employer-funded program provided by Asian Counseling and Referral Service, one of the WDC’s longtime partners in providing Literacy Works and WorkSource services.