The government is currently placing considerable emphasis on the training and development of 19 to 25 year old's, and within this overarching focus, particular emphasis on so-called essential skills of numeracy, and command of the English language. This is mainly to play “catch” from the failures of the school system.
The Food Industry plays a significant part in the development of English language skills, but not so much as an employer of the 19+age group, but rather, as a very significant employer of foreign, ‘overseas’ nationals.
To quote, with permission, some of the findings from recent research undertaken by Improve, the Sector Skills Council for the Food and Drink Industry:-
Of the some 650,000 employed in the food and drink industry, over 100,000 are overseas nationals. This group are split, roughly, into thirds:- in manual roles, semi-skilled roles, and management and supervision. This substantially over-represents them in management and supervision, and highlights how key overseas nationals are becoming vital to food manufacturing in Britain today.
The majority of foreign nationals are from the Eastern European accession states, and the majority might profess a wish to ‘return home’ one day, but 95% have permanent jobs, so it’s no-time soon! 25% are graduate or equivalent qualified. Very interestingly, over 50% of employers in Food and Drink employ overseas nationals, and, the bigger the company, the higher the proportion of their workforce, will be from this grouping.
What are the implications of the presence of this mobile, educated, first generation immigrant influx?
Most are people from countries with strong cultural identities, strong enough indeed to have withstood occupation, and political domination for years, to now emerge and claim their freedom. Equally, speaking of the majority of those from Eastern Europe, they have been extensively exposed to the English language dominated mass media of popular culture and to the powerful influence of American commerce.
Experience shows, that the great majority who arrive, have more than ‘mere notions’ of the English language. Indeed, this is even the case for those who have come from further afield than Eastern Europe – those from the Middle East for instance.
So, how are the development needs in language skills of these immigrant workers catered for? There is both public and private provision, aimed at building on the existing familiarity with English, brought here along with the suitcase.
Colleges of Further Education run formal courses to develop English skills, typically one or two days a week, for one or two years. These courses are free to those on benefits albeit that many immigrants from outside the accession states, did not initially have the right to work in the UK, for up to two years.
Colleges such as Telford College of Arts and Technology run a ‘drop-in’ centre, staffed by FE tutors. The Telford centre attracts learners from over 40 Telford businesses, and for the determined and self-motivated, is a fine public provision of English language skill development. Many FE colleges will provide similar facilities. Certainly there is a motivation to make the hours available flexible to fit within industrial work patterns, and there is an appreciation that the teaching, in a town like Telford, needs to accommodate the requirements of manufacturing.
Originating from the Government, but delivered privately, Learning Direct which provides courses over the Internet, has a suite of language development tools designed to assess the level of a candidate’s English skills, and then to develop those skills using games, interactive exercises and study tools. These mirror and support the National Curriculum for ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages.)
A critique of all class-room based, multi-attendees provision, is that it is quite possible to emerge from such courses, still unable to speak (understand, read, maybe even write, but not speak English).
To help remedy this and other deficits, specialist providers such as my business, Meeson Training and Development, offer some ‘bespoke’ provision of English language coaching. Combining the use of Learning Direct tools, and operating out of the Telford Learning Zone, the Learning Direct centre in Telford, the power of this kind of intervention is that it simulates the immersion by which we all learned our mother-tongue - how we all develop very advanced comprehension and expression, long before we can read or write.
There is of course a clear value for money equation here. The productivity gains reaped when a key employee rapidly improves their powers of natural expression (for fault finding, problem analysis and participation in root-cause analysis) as a result of bespoke coaching must be balanced against the option of a ‘free’ FE college course.
Britain has been enriched by immigrants for all of our history, Celts, Romans, Angles, Vikings, Normans, Jews, Huguenots, Revolutionary Emigres from France, Italians and Poles, Hong Kong Chinese, Afro-Caribbeans, Pakistanis, Indians, Ugandan Asians, Afghans and Kurds, and now, Slavs and those from the Baltic. Yet, we still speak a dialect of a language that stems from Lower Holland, and came to these shores over 1500 years ago.
Soon the government will make a level of competence with English, mandatory for those wishing to settle here. To me, enlightened self-interest dictates that to get the most and best from every employee, whose capacity to communicate confidently and competently, in the medium of the majority culture, is key.
Our efforts expended and money invested, to promote this aim are never wasted.
Tim Nelson runs his own business Meeson Training and Development. Tim also lectures at Telford College of Arts and Technology and is a member of the Food Manufacturing Forum.