Spanish Language Support in CTCs

3/13/01 @ Center for Family, Work and Community / UML

Facilitator: Dan Toomey

Jumas.com – Julio Pina / Octavio Spanner

• Lowell experiencing a rapidly growing Latino / Spanish-speaking population
• Currently most training is English-oriented
• Jumas.com is a small private company targeting Latinos in the Merrimack Valley and New England
• Jumas.com offers services and products and works in partnership with community based organizations
• Current training comes out of a lack of training for adults and comes from the idea that despite the level of education or English proficiency          technology skill training remains an issue
• Jumas.com started as an Internet Marketing company and has refocussed on training and education for Latinos

Center for FWC – Dan Toomey / Stephanie Prum

• Focus group of local NPOs identified computers as a defined need
• Large and growing Latino population in Lowell not only Puerto Rican but from around the globe
• Need for Spanish language resources became evident when training a class where ½ students and parents spoke not English

MRC/ RCC – Ed West

• CTC @ the Flanagan Center
• Running classes since Sept, part of LCTC since Nov
• 3 pronged approach – public access, after school, and workforce dev
• Staff and interns through CMAA intern program ensures that Khmer population is served
• Many residents in housing are Spanish speaking

YWCA – John Grullon

• Is bilingual however didn’t learn computers in Spanish and wouldn’t know necessarily how to train in Spanish
• Y is offering basic skill training for youth and adults

Lowell Telecommunications Corporation – Felicia Sullivan

• LTC is currently offering a wide range of media & content production workshops only our Basic Cable Radio is offered in Spanish
• Through our involvement with the Consortium it is clear that Spanish language support be made available in a number of CTC sites
• Hopefully the options would be varied and able to fit different programs and budgets

Merrimack Legal Services – Alera Marin Kane

• Training and development
• What services could the agency provide

CBA – Cindy Ros & Bernadette Rivera

• Currently running a PC technician workshop at the Greater Lowell Vocational
• 98% are minorities – to be part of the program must be low-income and a minority and / or live in the EC
• Need to identify resources for workforce development that focus on office skills.
• Looking for training sites who do this sort of training
• Current program needs 8^th grade English – other programs link ESL to workforce

Charter School – Angie Andebol

• Charter school serves English, Spanish, Khmer population
• Looking for networks of resources
• Ideas on how to support non-English speakers

Child Care Circuit – Marlies Zammuto

• Day care network in Lawrence service over 7000 day cares (both English & Spanish)
• Also a Family Network
• People need resources that are in their own language and in an environment they feel comfortable with.
• Need for access to higher education

Pollard Memorial Library – Vickie Turcotte

• Small grant to get more computers
• Need for training in basic skills
• Need for language support

Community Teamwork, Inc. - Maryann Regan

• Community Action agency
• Childcare workers and Head Start
• Need for basic skills and langauge support

Jumas.com – Presentation of Consulting Option

• Offers classes that meet the time schedules of Latinos
• Curriculum is 7 weeks (2 days / wk – 2hrs / day) – 28 hrs of instruction
• Classes provide curriculum, instruction, and visual support
• In class instruction on computer basics and office applications supported by video materials
• 6 videos cover basic computers, peripherals, setup, buying, operating systems, Internet, Word, Photoshop
• Have been working extensively in Lawrence
• Each class charges $400 per student (min 10 students / $4000 a class)
• Contact info:

• Jumas.com
  P.O. Box 2087(603)
  458-1600
  Salem, NH 03079
  
  Julio Pina
  (603) 458-1601(fax)
  (617) 899-5920 (cell) jpina@jumas.com
  www.jumas.com

Key issues the group identified

• Staffing and $$$ to pay for it
• Train-the-Trainer opportunities and identification of resources
• Workforce Development with ESL support
• Aides for the environment with one or two Spanish Speakers

Group decided to meet again.