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Community Impact

New Language Provides Opportunities for Success

The next time you call an electrician to your house, you may have the opportunity to meet three of El Buen’s adult learners who are benefiting from a collaboration among three labor organizations that is making it possible for members to obtain the educational resources necessary—such as English language skills—to achieve life-long financial independence.

The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local Union 520 in collaboration with the National Electrical Contractors Association and the Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee are providing tuition assistance to their non-English speaking members to attend adult education classes at El Buen Samaritano.

Jesús Magallanes, Jesús Alamilla and Juan Arturo López are three of the first 15 to embrace such opportunity.

“It is important for our non-English speaking members to learn the language so they may obtain better-paying jobs,” said Juan Merez (photo above), field representative with IBEW. “I want my brothers to be more than electricians. I want them to become foreman and much more than that, so I encourage them to learn English.”

Merez has made it his personal mission to encourage his fellow union members to get enrolled in El Buen’s Adult Education Program and to mentor them throughout each educational session. “It definitely takes commitment and dedication to focus one’s mind on learning a new language after a long and arduous day of work.” Merez said. “I’m convinced learning English will provide them with better-paying employment opportunities.”

Magallanes, Alamilla and López are planning to attend the Adult Education Program summer session.

For information on how to support and volunteer for the Adult Education Program, click here or contact Mona Izquierdo, director of education, at (512) 439-0738 or mizquierdo@elbuen.org.