Improving access to ESOL for people in work
Over a million people in England and Wales report not speaking English “well” or “at all” – more than one third of whom are UK citizens.
High Trees have been delivering English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) in Lambeth for over 10 years. We have seen first-hand the challenges that many people face when trying to learn English alongside full-time work and how this prevents individuals from accessing their rights and entitlements, and achieving their aspirations.
Strength in Words is a research project led by High Trees and supported by IRMO, Stockwell Partnership, Lambeth Council and the Bell Foundation. The research aims to better understand the barriers preventing people in work from improving their English language skills and to test different ways of delivering ESOL that function better for people in work.
High Trees strongly believes that research taking place in Lambeth needs to be grounded in the needs of the local communities and should lead to action and positive change. ESOL learners have helped us design a survey to capture the experiences of those in work who speak little or no English and this has already been completed by over 100 people representing 27 different nationalities and working in 10 different sectors. We have spoken to a large variety of people through drop-ins and events, and worked collaboratively with five other community organisations to reach different migrant communities.
At the same time, we have been speaking to ESOL providers in Lambeth to understand how they support learners in work and what changes are needed to improve access to ESOL. We have also interviewed local employers to understand the potential benefits of providing bespoke ESOL courses for their employees and how employers can engage in new ESOL models in the long term.
“Learning how to speak about health and safety has been very helpful, to stop incidents and to protect myself.”
– Employee on ESOL course
We have already started testing new models and have worked with Lambeth Council to provide a bespoke ESOL course to 12 Grounds Maintenance Operatives. With the success of our initial pilot, we’re hoping to use our upcoming findings to co-design and pilot innovative ESOL delivery models for people in work over the next few years.
For more information contact: research@high-trees.org