Applications Wanted: We Are Funding a Pilot Program for Restaurant Workers to Overcome Language Barriers
NYC Opportunity and the NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS) are excited to announce the release of a request for proposals to support the launch of an innovative new workforce initiative to provide contextualized English as a Second Language (ESL) services to low-wage food service industry workers. The vocational English as a second language project grew out of NYC Opportunity’s efforts to deepen the City’s use of participatory approaches to design human services in consultation and partnership with the people who use them, as well as a history of innovation and evidence-building work in workforce development.
Our team put these principles into action while developing a new pilot program in partnership with SBS , aiming to serve incumbent workers in the food service industry for whom English skills are a barrier to professional development.
The request for proposals to support the implementation of this program is currently open, and we strongly encourage organizations that are interested to submit proposals.
The Need
Almost a quarter of New Yorkers are not proficient in English, which negatively impacts their career prospects. In the food service industry, a lack of English language proficiency can be a major barrier for those looking to progress in the field. Coveted “front of house” positions, and the tipped wages they offer, remain hard to attain for those who are not yet confident or proficient in English language skills. Workers with limited English proficiency earn 25% to 40% less than their English proficient counterparts.
Only about 3% of English language learners in New York City have access to generalized ESL instruction in classroom settings. And due to transportation, time, and opportunity costs, only a minority of workers are able to find ways to combine work with training and educational opportunities that align with their work schedules.
Our team talked to over 30 employees and employers in the food service industry through focus groups and interviews to assess the need and inform the design for this program, and their feedback strongly confirmed the existence of these barriers. Our team also conducted a survey with the SBS Food & Beverage Industry Partnership, which received over 300 responses from employers. This research allowed us to hear employers’ ideas and include them in the design of the program.
The Solution
The goal of this pilot program is to reduce language barriers for workers with limited English proficiency, helping them to advance in their careers and earn higher wages. The program will deliver vocational English as a second language training, contextualized for food service workers, in collaboration with their employers and utilizing a hybrid model (in-person & technology-based). The initiative will be a collaborative effort between SBS and restaurants, with SBS contracting an ESL provider to deliver flexible hybrid instruction while restaurants help identify candidates for the program and pay participants for their time spent on ESL instruction.
The City is piloting a new approach: partnering with restaurants to offer on-site, contextualized English classes for employees during non-operational hours. This pilot will test key components of this innovative model:
- Contextualized English classes, where the vocabulary and scenarios that are taught are relevant to daily life at participants’ current workplaces. Working with employer partners, the program will offer classes that are tailored to participants’ current daily work. Research has linked contextualized classes of this kind to an increase in retention at both classes and jobs where they are offered.
- In-person instruction alongside a cohort of colleagues, which our research with potential participants indicated would help them receive positive reinforcement, gain confidence, and allow for contextualized role playing exercises to practice communicating in English in the workplace.
- Hybrid coursework, which will allow participants to practice independently and make-up any missed classes.
In focus groups that NYC Opportunity organized to inform this program, food service workers interested in learning English suggested that classes at their work location during non-operational hours on a regular basis would address some of the transportation, time, and opportunity costs barriers they face when trying to pursue educational goals. Potential participants also emphasized the importance of hybrid coursework for independent practice and to make-up missed classes. At the same time, they stressed the importance of in-person instruction alongside colleagues for receiving positive reinforcement, gaining confidence, and allowing contextualized role playing exercises to practice communicating in English in the workplace.
Employers we spoke to emphasized challenges that language barriers cause in their restaurants and expressed an openness to offering release time for employees to take advantage of professional development training. They said the training could increase employee retention and opportunities for internal promotion and career advancement, as well as increase customer satisfaction through reduced mistakes and greater productivity. In the survey we conducted in partnership with the SBS Food & Beverage Industry Partnership, of the 300 respondents, 80% said they employ workers with limited English proficiency and that they would be interested in improving their English language skills; 82% would allow for scheduling flexibility to attend classes; 58% would offer incentives to encourage ongoing participation; and 29% would even consider paying their employees for the hours they attend class sessions. Perhaps most gratifying, 70% of respondents said they would consider giving employees a raise, a promotion, or both if they successfully completed the training and showed an increase in their English language proficiency.
What’s Next?
NYC Opportunity will continue working closely with our partners at SBS to design, implement, monitor and adapt this pilot program. Providers who are interested in applying for funding to implement this initiative should review the request for proposals. The deadline to submit questions is May 31, 2024 at 5 p.m. and proposals are due on June 28, 2024 at 5 p.m.
