The article I read this week discussed the need for english courses in the construction industry. They talked about two different classes, one for english speakers to learn spanish, and the other for spanish speakers to learn english. I think that offering english classes for craft workers would be valuable because it would dramatically reduce the number of work related injuries. This article focused on 32 different contractors located throughout the midwest. Construction companies are socially responsible to provide a safe working environment for all of their employees, and effective communication should be at the beginning of that list.
I think that english courses should be required for all craft workers who are unable to pass an assessment test, but I don’t think spanish classes should be mandatory for english speakers. Spanish classes should be highly encouraged by management for all english speakers because it provides understanding from both sides of the party. Employers could even offer incentives to attend these language courses. Language classes would have to be offered by the employer and made convenient for the workers to attend. I think that the language barrier in the construction industry significantly bares down on productivity, which destroys a lot of job opportunities.
The article also discussed OSHA’s involvement with bridging the cultural barrier between Hispanic workers and American supervisors. I had no idea OSHA had actually increased their budget to provide educational sessions for Hispanic workers. It doesn’t seem like OSHA would have the resources to provide for these programs and the many others discussed in this article. OSHA also performed questionnaires for all employees to provide statistical analysis. This article will be a great source to support my proposal and develop new strategies.
link: http://web.ebscohost.com.proxy.library.oregonstate.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=2&hid=15&sid=d9d6f24c-1406-4867-b86c-cf983c2b7b6d%40sessionmgr12
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