More than 6,000 EnGen learners report measurable gains in career mobility, AI & digital readiness, and community participation.
Language, literacy, and digital skills are the foundation for success in today's economy. They help people perform with confidence, adapt to change, pursue new opportunities, and participate more fully in work and community life. The impact reaches far beyond the individual – it drives stronger outcomes for employers, communities, and local economies alike.
Foundational skills deliver measurable value for employers and communities.
Foundational Skills Drive
Economic Mobility
Across industries and workforce systems, organizations face growing pressure to improve retention, close communication and skills gaps, and help people adapt to a rapidly changing economy. At the same time, nearly 1 in 10 working-age adults in the U.S. is an English learner, and millions of adults face barriers related to literacy and digital access. Yet many employers, educators, government agencies, and community organizations still lack scalable solutions to support workforce participation, advancement, and economic opportunity.
EnGen’s 2026 learner impact survey shows that foundational skills learning—including language, literacy, and digital skills—drives measurable outcomes across workplace performance, retention, digital skills, and community participation, helping organizations support workers and job seekers at scale.
COMMUNICATION & PERFORMANCE
Drive Better Outcomes at Work
Communication, literacy, and digital skills improve productivity, safety, collaboration, and confidence on the job. EnGen learners report better communication with coworkers, stronger job performance, and greater confidence navigating workplace responsibilities.
“I communicate clearly and professionally with coworkers through written messages. I am comfortable collaborating through emails and chat-based platforms”
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ENGAGEMENT & RETENTION
Invest in People, Reduce Turnover
Retention starts with investing in people. Organizations offering EnGen help learners build skills, pursue promotions, and feel supported in their growth.
These outcomes translate into measurable business savings. For every $1 invested in EnGen, employers realize approximately $2 in savings through improved retention and reduced turnover costs.
“My work is sponsoring my English studies. It has truly been a major change in both my professional and personal life.”
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ADVANCEMENT & MOBILITY
Open Doors to New Opportunities
Language, literacy, and digital skills unlock wage growth, credentials, and participation in higher-skilled roles. EnGen helps organizations unlock internal talent by preparing frontline workers for promotions, leadership opportunities, credential programs, and career pathways.
“I got a promotion at work and they also put me in charge of the station where I work. It’s all thanks to my performance in English.”
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DIGITAL & AI READINESS
Prepare Workers for a Changing Economy
As workplaces and public services become increasingly digital, communication, literacy, and digital skills are more interconnected than ever before. EnGen helps learners build the digital and technical skills needed to navigate technology-driven workplaces while participating more effectively in career training, credentialing programs, and digital workflows.
“My job training is now easy. I’m able to read and comprehend on tablets and computers, fill online forms, follow instructions on devices, and read digital handouts.”
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Support Success Beyond the Workplace
Language, literacy, and digital skills support far more than workplace success. These foundational skills also improve access to education, public services, healthcare, technology, and family stability. EnGen learners report stronger confidence navigating everyday life, supporting their families, and participating more fully in their communities.
The benefits extend beyond individual learners. For every $1 invested in EnGen, local economies realize approximately $6 in value through increased wages, tax revenue, and local spending. Cell-Ed, an EnGen solution, offers a 55x ROI in social outcomes.
“I communicate freely on the phone, make various calls, and I don’t use the services of an interpreter like I used to.”
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Help More People Succeed at Work and in Life
EnGen helps employers, educators, public agencies, and community organizations improve retention, career growth, digital readiness, and learner success through scalable learning solutions.
Partner with EnGen to:
Improve communication, confidence, and workplace performance
improve retention and engagement
expand participation in training and credential programs
support underserved talent at scale
generate measurable workforce and social impact
Survey Methodology
In January 2026, EnGen fielded a multilingual survey to 28,384 adult learners using its mobile learning platform. In April and May 2026, Cell-Ed—an EnGen solution—surveyed additional learners. .
Together, the surveys generated XXXXX responses, representing a XX% response rate, up from 15.4% in 2025.
Respondents represent a highly diverse learner population spanning dozens of countries and speaking more than 40 languages other than English. Respondents accessed EnGen and Cell-Ed through a mix of programs:
XX% participate through employer-sponsored programs
XX% participate through adult education, nonprofit, or public-sector programs
Survey participation and engagement have grown significantly over the past four years:
2026: XXXX respondents (XX% response rate)
2025: 6,044 respondents (15.4% response rate)
2024: 2,326 respondents (10% response rate)
2023: 598 respondents (XX% response rate)
Now in its fourth year, EnGen’s annual learner impact survey continues to track how language, literacy, and digital skills influence workforce outcomes, digital readiness, community participation, and economic opportunity.
ROI estimates are based on an independent impact analysis of EnGen and Cell-Ed program outcomes and are reported separately from the learner survey findings. The analysis draws on a combination of employer-reported data, aggregated learner outcome data, and publicly available labor and wage benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and other national sources. Full methodology is available here and here.
SOCIAL & CIVIC OPPORTUNITY