Workplace ESL program empowers Hope Network Industries employees

On any given day inside Hope Network Industries’ 144,000-square-foot warehouse, you’ll hear a symphony of languages, nearly 15 spoken by more than 140 employees from almost 20 countries. Despite the linguistic diversity, everyone works together toward a common goal: building a better future through meaningful employment.

Now, a new English as a Second Language (ESL) course is helping turn that goal into reality.

Courtesy of HNI Hope Network Industries, a Kentwood-based facility that provides transitional work opportunities, launched a workplace-based ESL program that helps employees overcome language barriers, gain confidence, and open doors professionally and personally.

Hope Network Industries (HNI), a Kentwood-based facility that provides transitional work opportunities, recently launched a workplace-based ESL program that helps employees overcome language barriers, gain confidence, and open doors professionally and personally.

The 15-week course is offered on-site during scheduled shifts, ensuring employees can participate without losing wages. It’s a collaborative effort between HNI and the Literacy Center of West Michigan (LCWM), funded by the state of Michigan’s Going Pro Talent Fund.

“Hope Network Industries (HNI) is Hope Network’s contract packaging and light industrial company. HNI’s mission is to provide meaningful work experiences supporting people from all over the world who face barriers in finding competitive employment,” says Jerry Downs, vice president of social determinants of health at Hope Network. 

That partnership has proven essential to the program’s success. The Literacy Center has extensive experience providing contextualized, workplace-based ESL instruction across Kent and Ottawa counties.

The program is structured to support learners of varying backgrounds and schedules.
Rapid Growth connected with Downs for a Q&A about the program and its impact. 

Courtesy of HNI Hope Network Industries provides a 15-week ESL course that is offered on-site during scheduled shifts, ensuring employees can participate without losing wages.

Rapid Growth: Hope Network Industries recently launched an onsite ESL program for its diverse workforce. What inspired this initiative, and why was now the right time to start?

Jerry Downs: With a workforce of 140 employees representing nearly 20 different countries and 15 languages spoken, it’s been a goal of HNI to provide an ESL course for some time, and thanks to a Going Pro Talent Fund grant from the state of Michigan, we have been able to offer a 15-week ESL course through a partnership with the Literacy Center of West Michigan.

Jerry Downs
RG: The program is made possible by partnering with the Literacy Center of West Michigan. How did this collaboration come about, and what makes it effective?

JD: The LCWM provides this kind of contextualized workplace-based ESL to companies across Kent and Ottawa counties, and so we knew they’d make an excellent partner. Their Instruction is tailored to accommodate a range of ESL competencies, with some students working on basic vocabulary and phrases, while others who are able engage in more advanced conversational practice.

RG: With employees speaking more than a dozen languages, the course is designed to meet a wide range of needs. How is the ESL instruction tailored to accommodate different language backgrounds and shift schedules?

JD: The LCWM’s instruction is offered in English, providing practice and encouraging participation in English. LCWM instructors have formal training and TESOL certifications (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages). They have rich background knowledge of first- and second-language acquisition and apply those best-practice techniques in the classroom.

They also take into account the cultural impacts on language, and our professional pedagogy and curriculum design ensure that we can meet the needs of our students with multiple language backgrounds.

Hope Network Industries offers the classes within their shift times to eliminate
learners’ barriers to participation. We look for the best times for learners in setting our class schedules.

Courtesy of HNI A new ESL program is a collaborative effort between HNI and the Literacy Center of West Michigan (LCWM), funded by the state of Michigan’s Going Pro Talent Fund.

RG: Organizers say they’re already seeing encouraging results from the program. What changes have you noticed in participants since the course began?

JD: We’re seeing greater confidence and more “everyday” practicing/conversations among co-workers, as well as mentoring among coworkers. Those who may be more advanced in their English language skills are helping others.

RG: As the ESL course continues, leaders are looking ahead to its long-term impact. What are your goals for the program, and how do you hope it will grow?

JD: When the 15-week course wraps, we will do a deeper dive into its success and impact, lessons we’ve learned for any future courses, as well as explore additional grants available for funding. We are very happy with the initial results and thrilled we could offer this to our employees.