Improving Immigrants Prospects through work focused Language Instruction

Improving immigrants prospects through work focused Language Instruction

Margie McHugh and A.E.Challinor

Migration Policy Institute

June 2011

Endnote tagged

Important points :

"For those with low to mid level skills, language proficiency is the ticket to better paying jobs and upward mobility"
See his referred studies. This seems reasonable. Gives a number of examples of programmes, including McDonalds, Canada's Enhanced Language Training Programme, German at Work programme, Swedish policy.

But UK provision cut - see related posts, and September 2011 ended funding for employers.

Report recommends:
Expand language instruction contextualised for workplace use
Combine language and skills training
Encourage partnerships and work with employers
Encourage work based instruction
Take into accoutn the needs of non-traditional students
Evaluate programmes: share and support effective practises

Comments on recommendations;
1. This is CBE. It has problems - is it socioeconomically deterministic? See Auerbach
2. Combine language and skills training; This is also CEB
3. encourgae partnerships - UK has withdrawn funding
4. Encourgae work based instruction - see above
Non trad students - effectiely abandoned to self financing
Evaluate programmes - this is done in the Uk via social cohesio measurements - self fulfilling prophecy, or worse linking non-connected things.