Invest in English Skills to Build Your Talent Pipeline: Four Insights for the Manufacturing Sector
As manufacturers race to meet the demands of rapid growth, one issue remains top of mind for HR leaders: how to find and keep skilled workers. Labor shortages aren’t new, but the urgency to fill them is growing—especially as facilities expand and investments surge across the sector.
While many employers look outward for talent, a growing number of savvy manufacturing leaders are rethinking that approach, choosing instead to invest in their incumbent workforce.
In a sector powered by multilingual talent from around the world, work-based training must focus on equipping employees with the English skills they need to communicate, collaborate, and thrive.
At a recent breakfast briefing with manufacturing administrators and HR leaders, one talent development strategy rose to the top: English upskilling—an innovative, job-aligned approach to language learning that’s becoming a high-impact tool for driving communication, engagement, safety, promotion, and retention.
Here are four takeaways from that conversation:
1/ Your current workforce is your strongest talent pipeline.
In many manufacturing facilities, skilled and motivated incumbent workers are ready to advance into new roles, but English barriers often hold them back.
Industry leaders emphasized that by removing these barriers, particularly through English training aligned with job needs, they’re seeing better retention, engagement, and mobility.
“You need to help build talent, or else you won’t get the talent you need,” said one participant.
2/ English upskilling improves safety, morale, and retention.
In some manufacturing facilities, more than a dozen languages are spoken. Many rely on stopgap solutions like phone interpretation or bilingual staff—strategies that aren’t always scalable or sustainable.
By contrast, English instruction tailored to manufacturing roles has shown measurable results:
94% of workers are more confident using English at work
92% improved their job skills
79% achieved a career goal like a raise or promotion
And according to Gallup research, engaged teams experience 59% fewer safety incidents, underscoring the link between communication, engagement, and workplace safety.
3/ Manager buy-in drives success.
For any upskilling initiative to succeed—including English training—frontline manager support is essential. When supervisors encourage participation and recognize growth, employees feel valued—and are more likely to stay and grow within the company:
84% of EnGen learners said they’re more likely to stay with their company because English is offered as a benefit
86% said they’d refer a friend for the same reason
4/ Cross-sector partnerships expand access.
Organizations like EnGen offer flexible, supported English upskilling designed specifically for the manufacturing workforce, backed by wraparound services like enrollment support and multilingual coaching.
Many states are stepping in to help. From Colorado to North Dakota to Maine and beyond, state government agencies and local chambers of commerce are providing no-cost English training licenses to local employers.
The message from the room was clear: If you’re not tapping into these partnerships, you’re leaving value on the table.
Turn Insight Into Action
Your current workforce is your greatest asset. English upskilling is a smart, scalable way to unlock talent, improve safety, and strengthen your teams from within.
Learn how EnGen can work for your organization: https://getengen.com/contact-us