The Literacy Coalition is thrilled to announce the graduation of 13 students from its Integrated Education and Training (IET) program! Over the past nine months, these graduates completed over 700 hours of Commercial HVAC training along with upwards of 80 hours of ESL and Workforce Preparation instruction.
Our partner, Austin Career Institute, provides the hands-on vocational training piece of the program in Spanish. To support Spanish speakers in the workplace, the Literacy Coalition has created a unique English as a Second Language curriculum to support this HVAC training, so that students graduate with the English language skills they will need to be successful on the job. With an additional component of Workforce Preparation, the students receive a comprehensive education that enables them to be career-ready.
These students’ hard work and dedication are nothing short of impressive, and their class results show for it! 93% of the class improved in their overall English Speaking scores, while 86% improved in their English Writing scores.
100% of students who completed the outtake survey also reported that the program helped them communicate better at work with English-speaking peers or with their children’s teachers!
“I learned a lot. I really did. When I came to the US, I could barely understand some things. Now I can communicate with my boss and my coworkers, it’s really good. My life has changed and this English class has made it easier.”
This graduation also marks a special milestone for The Literacy Coalition. In April 2018, five years ago, IET launched its first HVAC Residential class in partnership with Austin Career Institute. This month, we celebrate our 5-year anniversary, reflecting on the positive impact our partnership has had on the lives and careers of countless students! The program has expanded over the years to include Commercial HVAC learning, leading to higher paying careers for our students.
The Literacy Coalition is proud to congratulate all the graduates and wishes them success in their future careers. We also extend our heartfelt thanks to our partners at Austin Career Institute, our funders at the Texas Workforce Commission, and all the instructors who made this achievement possible.
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