Meet “D”: EnGen Learner, Volunteer, and Aspiring IT Leader

“I wasn’t able to communicate or understand [English]. EnGen gave me the option to improve my language. I was interested in IT support, but I didn’t know how it works or what the work was. [EnGen] gave me options to learn how these things work, what IT is, vocabulary, everything.”

EnGen has helped “D” – identified by his first initial to protect his identity –  not only with English skills, but also in advancing his career and supporting his community. 

A member of the LGBTQ community, D moved to the U.S. from Russia seeking protection from political persecution. Soon after his arrival, D started working as an associate for Amazon. But, to thrive in his job, advance in his career, and build a community in his new country, he knew he needed to learn English. 

“When I started working at Amazon I barely spoke. I could barely understand what people were saying,” he recalls.

To help, D attempted to teach himself English by listening to the radio nearly 24 hours a day on his headphones, watching children’s programs on YouTube, and even taking in-person English classes for adult learners. 

But, D says, traditional classes focused too heavily on grammar and not the practical, real-world English skills he needed to thrive in his everyday life. 

“My experience was, I went to English classes for immigrants. It was OK, but I didn’t like them as much because they started to teach about grammar. I’m like a kid. Kids don’t know about grammar. They just pick it up from adults when they’re speaking. When you come, you just need the most useful verbs and adjectives to express what you need.”

It wasn’t until D engaged with EnGen, and its context-driven, real-world lessons, through his job at Amazon that his English skills started to really take off. 

 Amazon’s Career Choice program is an educational benefit for Amazon employees that pre-pays tuition for pathways to English language programs, skills training, and college classes. Since 2022, Amazon Career Choice has partnered with Engen to offer English upskilling to thousands of Amazon associates like D.

“I really like the EnGen platform. Classes are short and you can learn them anywhere. Usually I do my classes on the bus. It’s not just convenient, it’s something much more. It comes into my everyday routine. I can even take 5 minutes or 10 minutes and it feels like I did something important for the day.”

As D works towards his goal of moving into IT support, he’s loving the opportunity his job at Amazon gives him to help people and build his leadership skills. 

“I was impressed with Amazon when I first came. Our job is to make wishes come true for people. I really like bringing a smile to customers. I’m a learning ambassador. Sometimes when Amazon hires new people, I help introduce them to the job. There are people from different countries and different cultures. It’s amazing.”

Beyond his everyday work, D’s English skills help him serve his community. When he first arrived in the U.S., D started volunteering in a local LGBTQ center helping serve food to elder members of the community. As he continues to serve, his improving English proficiency has helped him gain confidence and grow local connections.

“Volunteering is also a powerful thing. When you volunteer nobody cares [about language barriers]. They will explain to you and talk to you. They are more patient. For me, it was a really powerful moment. You actually communicate with people. Volunteer options give you this opportunity.”

D has taken the opportunity provided through Amazon Career Choice and EnGen and has run with it. In just the past three months he has completed 10 units, 17 group classes, and 8 private classes. 

As he works towards his goal of a career in IT, D says EnGen has made a huge difference in his life. “EnGen has helped me put my English knowledge into a structure. Amazon Career Choice gave me a great opportunity and I’m very happy.”

EnGen partners with Fortune 500 companies, regional employers, educational institutions and government agencies to serve tens of thousands of adult English learners like D. Learn how it can work for your organization: https://getengen.com/demo