Ales has always had a shy personality. Growing up speaking Spanish in Uruguay, Ales felt timid when interacting with others. After moving to the United States, he found his shyness made it difficult to improve his English skills. He was cautious about not embarrassing himself, and felt even more nervous about speaking up in a new language.
It was not until his employer, 1 Hotel South Beach, announced its partnership with New American Workforce that Ales decided to take a big step in improving his English. As a result of this partnership, Ales, along with other employees, was offered a 12-week English class at the worksite. Ales had been working at 1 Hotel South Beach for the past 9 months as a carpenter, in the hotel’s engineering department, and was eager to take advantage of this amazing opportunity.
After months of practicing and studying, Ales’ hard work paid off: along with classmates, he successfully graduated from the English class in February 2018. Looking back, Ales says:
“I love my job and feel like I have a very supportive employer. The class helped me feel more confident and realize that it’s okay to take risks and make mistakes. I understand now that is the only way that I will improve. I now feel that I’m better able to communicate with my coworkers and supervisors.”
Inspired by the program, Ales is considering enrolling in a night class to continue improving his English. He is motivated to continue the process not only to feel more comfortable communicating in his daily life, but also to feel confident and proud when assisting hotel guests and other customers. Ales’ progress is, in large part, thanks to 1 Hotel South Beach, who is empowering their employees to develop the English skills necessary to thrive in their personal life and in the workplace.