According to a May 2023 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report on foreign-born workers, immigrants, refugees, and speakers of other languages now represent nearly one in five U.S. workers.¹

However, English instruction largely remains a workforce development afterthought: According to Migration Policy Institute, the U.S. currently has the capacity to serve just 4% of adult English learners.²

Against that backdrop, a growing number of U.S. companies are investing in employer-sponsored “English upskilling” programs to attract and retain talent for hard-to-fill roles, and in sectors that continue to face acute labor shortages.

Findings from a survey of more than 6,000 U.S. workers from more than 230 companies, including Amazon, Chobani, Target, Walmart, and Taziki’s Mediterranean Café, suggest that English upskilling investments not only allow employers to attract more workers, but also can have a direct impact on promotion and retention.

Overview

• The U.S. currently serves the needs of just 4% of adult English learners,³ the result of overbooked classes, outdated pedagogy, and transportation and childcare challenges.
• In a moment where health care, manufacturing, retail, and hospitality companies continue to face endemic labor market shortages, a growing number of employers are investing in English upskilling programs to grow their talent pipeline, promote and retain incumbent workers.
• This year’s survey findings reinforce the dual bottom line benefit of English upskilling, helping employers of all sizes to expand their talent pool, while also boosting career and economic mobility for a significant and fast-growing segment of the U.S. workforce.

Methodology

From December 2022 to January 2023, EnGen fielded a multilingual survey to 6,261 U.S. workers who were immigrants, refugees, and speakers of other languages. The response rate was 10%. All survey participants were adult English learners who received access to English upskilling through their workplaces or enrollment in educational institutions.

Respondents

What Is English Upskilling?

English upskilling uses career-specific content customized for working adult learners.

Learning content on EnGen’s online platform, for example, features more than 125 industry-focused pathways with lessons that can be completed in as little as 10 minutes, along with live instruction and career-aligned coaching.

EnGen’s unique approach to English upskilling is tailored to workplace needs, and accessible to learners of all levels.

Adult English learners access the platform on demand, often on a computer during breaks at work or on a mobile device at home.

The Findings

Insight 1: English upskilling enables employers to grow their talent pool and increase the odds of retaining workers.

In a tight labor market, workers prefer employers that offer opportunities for career growth, education and training⁴ – and workers from immigrant and refugee backgrounds are no exception.

Nearly 60% of total survey respondents access the EnGen platform via their employers. Their responses indicate that access to English upskilling is an attractive benefit to both incumbent and potential workers.

Insight 2: Confidence in using English is as important as proficiency.

Conventional wisdom links language learners’ progress to proficiency, an abstract term tied to arbitrary standards and test scores. However, this year’s survey suggests that an equally critical determinant of working adults' success is confidence in using English: Having the vocabulary to communicate effectively on the job and at home.

Indeed, while 92% of EnGen learners improved their average English proficiency scores on an objective assessment, even more reported other critical gains:

Insight 3: English upskilling belongs in the flow of work.

Historically, workforce development programs have treated English as a prerequisite to participation in training opportunities: Speakers of other languages were required to demonstrate some level of English proficiency before applying for jobs or learning new skills.

This year’s survey findings suggest that the integration of English upskilling into the flow of work and workforce development had a significant, positive effect on worker outcomes.

Companies like Macy’s, Walmart, Taziki’s and more are experiencing the benefits of offering English upskilling as part of on-site training programs, allowing learners to acquire both language and career skills simultaneously in order to accelerate development of in-demand skills for roles where employers face a shortage of talent.

Insight 4: Sector-specific English upskilling drives better outcomes.

English is a skill that can be mastered with repeated, real-life practice, yet the instructor-led approach used for decades by employers treats English as a content area, focusing instead on grammar rules or abstract language theory.

Outdated teaching methods, coupled with logistical issues related to work schedules, transportation, childcare, and overbooked classes, make most instruction both inaccessible and ineffective for adult English learners.

This year’s survey results point to the promise of career-aligned, personalized, on-demand instruction within the employment context.

Insight 5: Older workers and English learners can overcome digital literacy gaps.

Although many English learners have low levels of digital literacy, this year’s survey results suggest that online modalities for English upskilling are both accessible for workers who are still building digital literacy skills and can support the development of those skills, even in older learners.

This year, 36% of survey respondents were between the ages of 40 and 49, and 30% were over 50. This finding is striking because older adults are often overlooked when it comes to technology-mediated learning solutions, with the assumption that they lack the interest or digital literacy to use them.

The age range of EnGen language learners suggests that older adults can and will use digital tools if they are given the resources and support to navigate them.