Mainebiz

V O L . X X V N O. X X S E P T E M B E R 1 6 , 2 0 1 9 28 H E A LT H C A R E In March, she joined 11 fellow envi- ronmental services department employ- ees and five from linen services for three to six months of web-based English- language learning. e MaineHealth- funded pilot program was held at the Greater Portland Immigrant Welcome Center (IWC) on Preble St. During the last week of lessons, Kabedi tells Mainebiz she feels more confident speaking English at work and even with her five-year-old son at home, along with French. When her child is older, she'd like to further her education. "I hope to go to college," she says before heading to work with the others, including a former lawyer and midwife. All have licenses to continue the training for three more months on their own time. ey'll also work with Jennifer O'Leary, manager of MaineHealth's Center for Workforce Development, to discuss their career trajectories within the organiza- tion. e two-person department was set up in November to support, strengthen and create employment opportunities within MaineHealth and the commu- nity. It's working with the first group of immigrant learners to identify career pathways and provide additional ways of improving their English. "It's an integrated approach that's not a one size fits all," says O'Leary. "It's workforce development at its core." 'The right thing to do' As Maine's largest private employer with a 19,000-strong workforce across the state, MaineHealth's workforce-diversity efforts go beyond its own self-interest. "Our workforce needs to match the needs of patients and the community," says Judy West, MaineHealth's chief human resources officer. "Employees come to us at different stages of their lives, and we have a responsibility to develop people so they can be the best they can be in their careers and help them get to where they want to go." She also says that the language training is "the right thing to do" for immigrants, many of whom are tal- ented and bright, only to be held back in their professional development after coming to this country because they're not fluent in English. at's not the case at MaineHealth, which encourages motivated employees to move from support-services jobs to more skilled positions, and to take advantage of in-house training programs for jobs including certified nursing assistant training assistants, medical assistants and in surgical technology. e language learning partnership with the IWC launched in March, with the first cohort extended from C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 3 0 » P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY Speaking the same language MaineHealth teams up with Portland immigrant center B y r e n e e C o r d e s F O C U S English eLearning pilot program at a glance Partners: MaineHealth, Greater Portland Immigrant Welcome Center (IWC) Timeline: First cohort finished in August, second group to start this fall Numbers: 17 MaineHealth employees in first cohort (12 from environmental services and five from linen services); second group size to be determined Where: First group at IWC, second group at Maine Med's Bramhall campus Platform provider: Voxy, a New York-based eLearning provider For more information, go to welcomeimmigrant.org/ienglish @ Jennifer O'Leary, Center for Workforce Development at MaineHealth, center, with Maine Medical Center employees and language learners, Bebe Kabedi, left, and Francisca Ngandu, in the PC Training Room at Maine Medical Center in Portland. 17 MaineHealth employees took three to six months of English language learning at the Greater Portland Immigrant Welcome Center. B ebe Kabedi, 42, once worked as a secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in her native country, the Democratic Republic of the Congo. With basic English, the Kinshasa City native landed an entry-level housekeeping job at Maine Medical Center in Portland, MaineHealth's flagship hospital.

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