Standing at an impressive 102 floors and defining the New York City skyline, the Empire State Building represents the embodiment of America as an iconic symbol of progress, innovation, and ambition.
Inside the Empire State Building, once a week, English learner employees from Pret-A-Manger have been working hard at improving their English language and job-related skills. Partnering with the National Immigration Forum this year, Pret provided its employees with English at Work, an industry-specialized English course.
“When I came to the U.S., I never thought I would be going to English class in the Empire State Building!” a student exclaimed at graduation.
Whether students walked or took the subway from their shops to class, they were always early and ready to learn.
“About half an hour before class started, I would walk into the classroom to prepare, and practically the whole class would already be there, eager to start!” shared Arlen Gargagliano, a curriculum designer for English at Work and a teacher for one of the Pret-A-Manger cohorts.
One of those early arrivals was Laura Galabay from Ecuador. Laura is a team leader at Pret-A-Manger and a proud graduate of Pret’s first English at Work training cohort. In addition to being a team leader in her workplace, Laura also led by example in the classroom. Being one of the first participants in her shop, Laura made sure to share her experience with her team and consequently inspired four other team members to join Pret’s second and third English at Work cohorts.
“Why not?” Laura told her team. She emphasized that the English at Work course improved teamwork within her store and helped strengthen herself as a leader.
Strengthening her leadership and overall communication skills is crucial to her goal of becoming a manager. Laura has been with the company for a long time and did not take this opportunity for granted: “This is my first graduation since school,” she shared proudly, reminding everyone it’s never too late for education and self-betterment.
Inspired by Laura, Silenny Canario, a cook on Laura’s team, also aspires to become a team leader and recently graduated from English at Work. She has worked at one of Pret’s New York City shops since 2017. Originally from the Dominican Republic, Silenny has lived in the United States for 10 years. One of her favorite parts of her job is working and collaborating with her team members. Arlen, her teacher, saw teamwork and leadership as key competencies important not just for the shop, but in the classroom, as well.
Arlen remained connected to many of her students, including Silenny, which allowed her to see the impact of the course firsthand. She observed how leadership took many forms, including the mutual support between students every class session and the light-heartedness that filled the classroom. Seeing how her class bonded and worked so well together to build important workplace skills made it clear how those skills would be applied directly to their jobs, improving teamwork, communication, problem-solving, and confidence.
Silenny acknowledged that learning English is crucial for success, not only for career advancement but also for self-sufficiency in the United States. “English knowledge opens more doors, pathways, and job positions. It’s important for my progress in the country,” Silenny said.
Silenny emphasized that English at Work has also helped her understand the names of products and menu items, and build fluency and confidence in speaking the language. Arlen saw a direct correlation and attested to the students’ growing confidence and increased comfort level with speaking English, which she believes empowers them for future successes as leaders at work. Silenny agreed, recognizing the importance of English proficiency in improving communication with customers and the ability to provide high-quality assistance, which is essential for her to be able to grow within the company.
“Fluency aids the movement up the ladder,” Silenny emphasized.
The prospects of her future and her goals to grow within the company have motivated her to continue to learn English.
Laura, Silenny, and Arlen all agreed that English at Work is not just an English class. English at Work strengthens language ability and builds confidence while providing a space for employees to work on key workplace skills, develop leadership, and build community. English at Work has made significant contributions to the jobs, lives, and personal development of each participating employee, and has helped them navigate their goals within the workplace. With support from each other and their company, Laura and Silenny are one step closer to their goals.
The National Immigration Forum would like to thank Ethan Soldonia, Business Engagement and Inclusion Programs Intern, for capturing this story.