Based on a growing number of our clients seeking employment, the Indo-American Center’s Workforce Development Program is a new program with a comprehensive approach focused on guiding our clients toward job placement. As a component of our Adult Literacy and Computer Education Programs, this program will educate our clients with career-based English-language learning, computer literacy, transferrable job skills, and job-readiness skills.
This Program will emphasize contextualized English as a Second Language (ESL) learning, with focus spent on goal planning and career exploration, development of career-related terminology, and practicing workplace interactions. A special emphasis will be placed on digital literacy in the classroom to allow students to gain the basic computer skills required to pursue a career path and retain employment in a number of workforce sectors.

English Literacy Classes
IAC’s Adult Literacy Program currently offers four levels of ESL instruction on a 13 week-quarterly basis. Building from our Adult Literacy Program model, this career-based literacy track will separate at Level 2, after students have demonstrated basic English-speaking abilities. This Workforce Development Program will offer three levels of career-based ESL. Levels 2 and 3 will integrate computer education with a focus on long-term career planning and job readiness. Upon completion of Level 3, students will be funneled into internship programs with partnering organizations.

Internship Placement
The Internship Level will place students in an internship with a local business for the duration of the quarter. The internship placement will be a minimum of twenty-hour per week commitment, with an additional weekly meeting with the Workforce Development Coordinator to track the clients’ progress and address any other job placement-related issues.

Enrolling
Prior to enrollment, all clients will be required to complete a computer literacy pre-test, supply a resume or list of work experience, and provide proof of their ability to work in the United States. Reading and writing skills will be formally assessed through the Basic English Skills Test (BEST), an exam that tests adult learners on a variety of functional tasks requiring basic literacy. Clients’ listening and speaking skills will be informally assessed through an interview that will ask general questions regarding background and education. Student Performance Levels (SPL) will assess listening comprehension, oral communication, reading, and writing. Adult learners will be assigned to the appropriate class depending on their BEST score, the results of their interview, and their SPL score.

Who Can Participate
IAC’s Workforce Development Program is available to adult residents of Chicago, at least 18 years old, who are looking to be engaged in sustainable employment. This population may include, but will not be limited to, students with an equivalent of at least a high school diploma, public housing residents, unemployment recipients, low-wage incumbent workers, dislocated workers, and immigrant and refugee populations.

Students who have completed IAC’s Workforce Development Program’s four levels of literacy training, including the Internship Level, will be trained in U.S. Workplace Customs, and will be prepared with job-readiness skills, such as eligibility assessment, resume writing, orientation practices, workplace professionalism, effective communication and problem solving skills, customer service, self-management and dependability. Additionally, these individuals will have the abilities to use technological tools for communication through email, telephone, facsimile machines, resource rooms, and labor market information.

Job Readiness Workshops
Monthly workshops will be offered and will cover topics such as Resume Writing, Interview Skills, and Financial Planning. These workshops are available to students with specific job skills needs, as well as the broader community.

Schedule
IAC’s Workforce Development Program Career-based ESL classes are currently being held Tuesday-Thursday 2:00-4:00pm.

New classes will begin April 9, 2012. Registration for these classes is on-going.

All interested clients must register with the Workforce Development Coordinator, Tanvi Shah, at (773) 973-4444, ext. 106.