Partnership creates English class at Sherrill Manufacturing

Sherrill Manufacturing Partners with MOBOCES to Teach English as a New Language

SHERRILL, N.Y. – For many years, Sherrill Manufacturing struggled to fill vacancies in its Oneida County flatware factory, President Matt Roberts said. There were a variety of jobs, but there never seemed to be enough workers to fill those positions.

These days, the manufacturing company is fully staffed, due in large part to a new crop of workers moving to the area from Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and California. About 20 percent of the company’s workforce is now made up of native Spanish speakers.

Addressing the Sustainable Development Goals

• Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
• Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities
• Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals

“When we started hiring more Spanish speakers, everyone pulled out their phones and started using Google Translate,” Roberts said in a recent news release. “I can get by with my Spanish, but it certainly wasn’t the best way to work.”

Roberts and Operations Manager Jose Alvarez approached Madison-Oneida BOCES for help. MOBOCES has offered English, high school equivalency, and adult basic education classes in Madison and Oneida counties for decades through its Adult and Continuing Education division. It has periodically partnered with local businesses to offer specialized trainings and workshops for employee groups.

MOBOCES and Sherrill Manufacturing launched a unique partnership this summer to teach English as a New Language classes at the factory to anyone who wanted to enroll.

Now, anywhere from 15-30 people attend free ENL classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays right in the company’s conference room. Spouses, siblings, and children of employees are welcome to drop in.

“We consider this to be part of their workday – twice a week, they have English class,” Roberts said. “To me, that is pennies on the dollar. Investing in our workforce – that’s going to pay dividends in the long run, for the company and the region too. Doing this makes sense.”

Improving Skills for Work and Daily Life

The class focuses on conversational skills as well as basic reading and writing to help them not only in the factory but also at the grocery store, the bank, and in the community, Roberts said.

On the first day of class in August, an adult education case manager from MOBOCES met individually with everyone who planned to take the class to assess their English skills and provide baseline information to the instructor. New hires who join the class receive the same assessment, and a case manager returns to conduct a new assessment after a student completes 40 hours of instruction to measure improvement.

“I can already see tremendous improvement in one or two months, just from watching the class. It’s really amazing to see their progress,” Adult Education Case Manager Chris Ebersold said.

Partnership and Collaboration

MOBOCES tapped Brandon Mendoza, a veteran ENL teacher who is fluent in Spanish, to teach the class. Mendoza is a full-time ENL teacher in the Rome City School District. He also teaches ENL at Mohawk Valley Community College and GED classes for MOBOCES at the Rome ACCESS Site for adult learners.

“It’s nice to see the corporate world partnering with education and government in this way, to see an effort like this that is helping to revitalize the area,” Mendoza said. “I was thrilled to be asked to do this! There is a huge need for ENL teachers, but most of them end up in bigger cities. The need in smaller areas like this for ENL teachers is huge.”

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The issues highlighted in the article are connected to SDG 4: Quality Education, SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, and SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the article’s content, the specific targets that can be identified are:

1. SDG 4.6: By 2030, ensure that all youth and a substantial proportion of adults, both men and women, achieve literacy and numeracy.
2. SDG 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value.
3. SDG 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

No specific indicators are mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets.

4. SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Behold! This splendid article springs forth from the wellspring of knowledge, shaped by a wondrous proprietary AI technology that delved into a vast ocean of data, illuminating the path towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Remember that all rights are reserved by SDG Investors LLC, empowering us to champion progress together.

Source: oneidadispatch.com

Join us, as fellow seekers of change, on a transformative journey at https://sdgtalks.ai/welcome, where you can become a member and actively contribute to shaping a brighter future.