Equipping adult English learners with real-world language skills is just the first step in powering their potential. We must also build a workforce ecosystem that also champions their recruitment, retention, career and economic mobility.

“EnGen has really helped me with my confidence in communicating. I feel more fluent, and my understanding of the language has improved significantly. I love that I can now help my coworkers with translation and assist them with their language needs”

"Six months ago, when I started with EnGen, my expectations were not very high because I had been trying to learn English for a long time, and I hadn’t seen any improvement. But after six months with this amazing program, I now speak with more confidence. At work, I can communicate much clearer and with fluidity.”

 In Colorado and across the U.S., 1 in 10 working-age adults is an English learner. The impact of the statewide offering indicates that at-scale English upskilling  can be a powerful workforce development tool.

There’s a role for everyone in the workforce of the future. Yet too often, our workforce development programs leave out key segments of the labor force, including adult English learners. Here are five actionable insights to build a future-ready workforce that embraces multilingual talent.

Savvy employers are turning to English upskilling to attract and retain a high potential but largely untapped talent pool: adult English learners. Here are three reasons why these programs should be a top priority in talent acquisition and development budgets for 2025.