麻豆原创

A first of its kind pilot program that saw Orange County Government partnering with 麻豆原创 Global, Rosen Hotels & Resorts and Aeras Foundation to provide English language instruction on the job to adult hospitality workers is becoming a fully funded program within the I-Drive Community Redevelopment Area (CRA). Due to the positive outcomes, including increased learning gains, high satisfaction scores from employees and employers and measurably increased guest satisfaction, Orange County Government announced it will expand the ESOL for Working Adults program in January.

鈥溌槎乖�创 is excited to be the instruction partner for this expanded effort to unleash the potential of those in our community by making high-quality language learning affordable and accessible,鈥� says 麻豆原创 President Alexander N. Cartwright. 鈥淲e believe that education has the power to transform lives, and collaborations such as this have meaningful impact on our workforce, industries and region.鈥�

麻豆原创 Global functions as the primary international hub for students, faculty and staff on campus.

鈥淭he 麻豆原创, in partnership with Orange County Government, aims to offer educational opportunities for a critical segment of the Central Florida population, targeting the I-Drive Community Redevelopment Area in Orange County, Florida,鈥� says Jennifer Haddad, program director of engagement at 麻豆原创 Global. 鈥溌槎乖�创 Global is offering high-quality English Language Learning courses for the growing … workforce populace in the region, leading to higher earning potential for workers and value-added for employers.鈥�

Through strong partnerships, 麻豆原创 Global extends its reach to transform the lives of the global community through its multiple support services, she adds.

Since the program’s launch, there has been statistically significant gains across all areas of instruction, with speaking showing the most improvement.

鈥淲ith public resources, the county is uniquely positioned to foster partnerships and prove the value of innovative approaches like this,鈥� says Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings. 鈥淣ot only does this program increase opportunity for growth among participants, but it also benefits employers at the center of our world-class tourism industry. I look forward to future workforce recommendations to how our private and institutional partners can work alongside the county to propel our community forward.鈥�

Within the I-Drive CRA, Paramount Hospitality Management, the Orange County Convention Center and Hilton Orlando will now be joining the inaugural employer partner Rosen Hotels & Resorts to provide space, time, support and pay for their employees participating in the language learning coursework.

鈥淪erving overseas as an Army officer, I quickly recognized the importance of understanding the language of the country where I was serving,鈥� says Harris Rosen, president and COO of Rosen Hotels & Resorts. 鈥淢aking these classes accessible to our associates to attend, while on the clock, is critical to this program鈥檚 success. I am so proud of our associates for their desire to better themselves and for the partnerships that made this program so successful.鈥�

Amazon, the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority (GOAA) and Gaylord Palms are the employers who will offer upskilling for their employees on the job through 麻豆原创 Global, building on the pilot program, which launched in September 2022.

鈥淟ast year, we launched English-language classes to expand our offerings and support employees regardless of where they are on their academic or professional journey,鈥� Tammy Thieman, global director of Amazon Career Choice explains. 鈥淲e鈥檝e seen great participation in these offerings in Florida and we鈥檙e looking forward to continuing to partner with 麻豆原创 and our other local partners to offer more options to associates 鈥� including more in-person language classes 鈥� in the Orlando area.鈥�

For the January 2024 start date, instructional agreements are currently being finalized with 麻豆原创 Global and Orange County Public Schools, while Orange County will continue to partner with the Aeras Foundation which provides digital devices that expand online learning opportunities.

鈥淲ith 63.8% of our participants indicating ‘better work opportunities’ as the main interest in the program, once desired language needs have been met there is a compelling case to be made for additional support for vocational purposes.  In the interim, we have started to think through how to incorporate career and upskilling components to supplement the language instruction 鈥� all to reach the goal of the program as defined at the onset of the proposed partnership between 麻豆原创 Global and Orange County: offering high-quality English Language Learning courses for the growing … workforce populace in the region, with the intention of leading to higher earning potential for workers and value-added for employers,鈥� says Haddad of 麻豆原创 Global.

ESOL Pilot Key Findings:

This innovative program removes barriers for workers to learn English while promoting upskilling and upward mobility with onsite instruction. Research findings indicate that employees found work schedules (49%), lack of time (27%), cost (26%) and availability of classes (22%) were top obstacles in the past.

Additional findings include:

• Satisfaction: Overall perceptions of the program were overwhelmingly positive with a majority (89%) indicating a willingness to recommend. 鈥淢y employer supported me.鈥� ranked as the top benefit.
• Learning Gains: There were statistically significant gains across all areas of instruction, with speaking showing the most improvement.
• Scores for grammar, vocabulary, reading and speaking increased significantly from pre-test to post-test.
• From employers, feedback included increased associate confidence, increased morale and associate retention. Results showed increased guest satisfaction scores on greetings from staff and increased opportunity for growth within the organization.

For more information and the full research findings, visit: ocfl.net/ESOL.