Handout # 3: Profile of Limited English Proficient Adult Workers

In today's high-tech economy, the word "literacy" can sound out of place. But the United States faces a significant challenge for the 21^st century: more than 40 million adults - over a fifth of the adult population - have low literacy skills. From the Margins to the Mainstream, 2000

The U.S. Department of Labor does not presume that all workers have proficiency in oral English and U.S. culture. It takes seriously the special challenges faced by the large number of limited English proficient (LEP) workers who are part of the American workforce, recognizing the special needs of language minority learners if they are to compete for gainful employment. This leaves the door wide open for educators and their workforce partners to promote equal access to educational and job training opportunities without linguistic and cultural bias, and extends to assessment and accountability considerations as well. These workers are recognized by one or more distinct characteristics:

• They are learners who may have little in the way of English language skills but have strong academic preparation in their home countries. These individuals are often limited in their work opportunities because they lack the socio-cultural and linguistic skills needed for effective communication, team building, and conflict resolution.
• They are learners who have strong oral English language skills but weak or marginal literacy skills. They often lack the academic skills needed to access information, cope with extended texts, solve abstract problems, and deal with hypothetical situations. They require programs that upgrade their English language skills and prepare them to benefit from academic, vocational, and job training opportunities.
• They are learners who lack both the oral English interaction and literacy skills needed to access information, express their ideas, and solve communication problems in English; they may also lack culturally appropriate coping skills.

Profile of Texas' Spanish-Speaking Dislocated Workers

• Have difficulty communicating in English with supervisors, co-workers, and customers
• Have difficulty following verbal instructions and tend to depend on others for interpretation or translation
• Have difficulty following written instructions/need assistance to complete written forms
• Could cross train/move to other positions more rapidly with better English language skills
• May be only marginally literate in their native language as well as in English
• 50% are women
• 87% are displaced female workers with less than a high school education (many with less than six years of formal education)
• 80% worked in the garment manufacturing industry
• 82% had never received government assistance prior to displacement
• 70% are 40 or older; 55% are over 45 years of age
• 63% are married
• 30% are single parents
• 58% have lived in the U.S. for more than 20 years
• 60% had held only one job prior to displacement
• 51% received some kind of severance benefits

Sources: Grognet (1998), Longoria (2000), U.S. Labor Secretary's Commission on Necessary Skills (1991)

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