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A workforce that looks like our community. Language learning access, jobsite safety, and economic opportunity through English upskilling for Austin & Travis County Elizabeth Mack | TAPP Member • Founder, Freestyle Languages Presented to the City of Austin Economic Prosperity Commission Agenda 01 02 03 04 Quick Intros TAPP / Freestyle Languages Background Our work with Tesla Gigafactory Grant-Funded Outcomes TxMutual & WFS Capital Area — the safety case Current Community Engagement & Data What Austin residents are telling us 05 06 07 Economic Benefits For Spanish speakers, the community & COA Austin Infrastructure Academy The workforce shortage case Q&A + Resources 01 Quick Intros: TAPP & Freestyle Languages About Freestyle: Our objective today: HUB / MWBE certifications Demonstrate how COA, Travis County, and our residents all benefit from a workforce that looks like our community — including its linguistic diversity, and how English upskilling will be key to our future workforce. Approved Pipeline Organization for the City of Austin's Construction Training Program (CTP) A proven model offering language training as workforce development - 100% online and accessible, nationwide Elizabeth Mack TAPP Member • Founder, Freestyle Languages 02 Background: Our Work with Tesla Gigafactory, 2021 Tesla's hiring requirement: “Written and Spoken Command of English” People had been excited about job opportunities — and this left out huge swaths of the community. Here's the story DATA tells us: Main Languages Spoken — City of Austin, District 2 (example) 2% 46% 52% Spanish English Other % is not the total number of Spanish speakers, but of those who reported speaking “English less than very well.” 03 TxMutual & WFS Capital Area Grant-Funded Program The problem, from a safety perspective 25% of jobsite accidents relate to the language barrier — OSHA. Local Director Monica Camacho believes the real number is higher. 42% higher fatality rate for Hispanic construction workers vs. non- Hispanic — largely attributed to the language barrier 78% of workforce growth through 2030 will be Hispanic — 30–60% Spanish-only speakers PROGRAM OUTCOMES: WHAT THIS SIGNALS FOR EMPLOYERS: English learners report universal improvement in job site communication in just 2 (12-week) sessions. . Spanish & English leaners report increased confidence addressing safety concerns Language training functions as a preventative safety intervention, not just nice-to-have benefit. Communication readiness supports schedule reliability, quality and risk mitigation. 04 Current Community Engagement & Data English is neither a soft skill nor a hard skill. It's a life skill — and Spanish speakers report sweeping aspirations to learn English (in an accessible model). We recently surveyed the community directly. After hearing a claim in a TAPP meeting by a local official that Spanish speakers lack the “aspiration” to learn English, we ran a community survey at the San Jose Ministries meeting last month to find out directly from residents. SURVEY RESULTS • 100% said they want to learn English (caveat: if it were easier, accessible online, fun and free…) • 70% said they've been denied a job because they don't speak English. • 100% said they could get a job more easily if they spoke English. • 60% said they need a job. 06 Economic Benefits of Investing in Adult English Instruction For Spanish speakers, the community, and the City of Austin Hispanics/Latinos face a well-documented, higher unemployment rate. $1 → $6 Non-English speakers in the U.S. earn 40% less than proficient English speakers. return generated for local economies for every dollar invested in English upskilling 3 states are already transforming their labor markets with English learning. (Texas is not one of those 3…) Every $1 invested in English upskilling generates a $6 return for local economies. $10.4M in broader economic gains: as English upskilling advanced proficiency, it bolstered employment opportunities and wages across local economies. 05 Austin Infrastructure Academy The problem, from a workforce shortage perspective 10,000 more workers needed per year, for the next 10 years, to meet Austin's infrastructure project demand. Yet language training isn't currently built into apprenticeship or hard-skills training programs Many people cannot access — or drop out of— apprenticeship training due to the language barrier. Other cities and states offer English alongside apprenticeship and hard skill training. We already do this successfully, year-round, nationally for major GCs — the public sector in Austin, Travis County and Texas could benefit greatly from English upskilling. Q&A COA & Travis County residents would both benefit from a workforce that looks like our community — including the linguistic diversity. By working together, we can absolutely expand our workforce and provide economic opportunity to individuals through English upskilling. Elizabeth Mack • Founder, Freestyle Languages • TAPP Member Resources Local & Regional Data — Austin & Texas Austin Infrastructure Academy — First 1-Year Impact Report See Section 2: “Strengthening Communication on the Job Site” City of Austin | CPIO Language Access Program (Feb 2020) https://services.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=430652 Texas Spanish-Speaker Data • 7.6 million people speak Spanish as a first language in Texas — 30% of the state. • About 1/3 of that group (2.3 million people) has Limited English Proficiency (LEP). Resources National Workforce & Economic Research Lead With Languages — Making Languages Our Business (Full Report) leadwithlanguages.org/wp-content/uploads/MakingLanguagesOurBusiness_FullReport.pdf • Pg. 16: Construction ranks #1 (Manufacturing #2) in employer reliance on foreign-language skills. • Pg. 20: 5-year outlook shows rising future demand for foreign-language skills. • 9 out of 10 U.S. employers rely on employees with language skills beyond English. • A monolingual business risks losing employees and revenue. Forbes — Three States Are Transforming Their Labor Markets with English Language Learning (2025) forbes.com/sites/alisongriffin/2025/02/20/three-states-are-transforming-their-labor-markets-with-english-language-learning • English learners are 1 in 10 working-age U.S. adults — an often untapped talent pool. • States from Colorado to Michigan are investing in “English upskilling” as workforce development. • UC & U. Houston research links English proficiency gains to 10–30% wage increases for low-wage workers. Brookings — English Skills Embargo brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/English-Skills-Embargo.pdf • English proficiency is a gateway to economic opportunity for immigrant workers. • More funding, outreach, and instructional innovation would improve outcomes for workers and their children. Resources Industry & Labor Market Data Engineering News-Record (ENR) — Top 400 Contractors Hit Craft Ceiling as AI Boom Strains Skilled Labor Resources (2026) • See “Cultivating Skills Stacking” — developing, not just recruiting, the workforce. • Communication is one of the biggest overlooked barriers to advancement. • Language barriers block skilled workers from advancing into foreman/forewoman roles. WorkingNation — The Growing Impact of the Hispanic/Latino Workforce workingnation.com/the-growing-impact-of-the-hispanic-or-latino-workforce-and-why-its-key-to-the-u-s-economy Fast Company — Why Many U.S. Companies Are Teaching Workers English fastcompany.com/91129753/why-many-u-s-companies-are-teaching-workers-english Bleakley & Chin (2004), “Language Skills and Earnings: Evidence from Childhood Immigrants,” Review of Economics and Statistics 86(2): 481–496, MIT Press. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024), “Labor Force Characteristics of Foreign-Born Workers Summary,” May 21, 2024. bls.gov/news.release/forbrn.nr0.htm