OSU training program prepares Spanish-speaking nursery workers ...

Oregon State University Professor Luisa Santamaria, of the OSU North Willamette Research and Extension Center, is running a bilingual training program for Hispanic plant nursery workers, providing an example for non-traditional business industries.

Santamaria started working for the research center in 2009, implementing her bilingual training program to Hispanic workers, specifically catering to the plant nursery industry.

Santamaria runs two workshops a month with about 25 people attending and learning the skills necessary to care for the plants. Originally, Santamaria ran the workshops at the extension center, but the location was too inconvenient for the nurseries to send their workers to the seminars. Santamaria decided to modify her arrangement to reach out to the nurseries, and now they arrange the date for her to come down and train their employees.

Her workshops have the employees complete hands-on activities on plant health and husbandry and memorize technical language terms from the industry.

This program caters to the plants? sanitation and overall health and conditioning. It provides the employees with better education about the industry and with communication skills to get past the language barrier.

?Many of the workers speak English, but can often not read or write it,? Santamaria said. ?So technical language is a completely different experience for them.?

Over 1,800 nurseries have taken Santamaria up on her offer to train their employees, and she successfully trained over 150 people this past summer.

Santamaria started this program when the plant nursing industry realized the potential in their Hispanic workers, but the language barrier either prevented full production or caused miscommunication. These workshops were started to remedy this particular issue the plant industry faced.

?I think all nurseries should have bilingual training,? Santamaria said. ?It better educates their workers and builds solid communication between the employees.?

In terms of business, Santamaria is not the only one who thinks this is a good idea. Professor Keith Leavitt of OSU?s College of Business highly agrees with Santamaria?s idea.

?Right now, it?s becoming more common for larger industries to invest in education because it reduces turn-over, produces company loyalty and produces better workers,? Leavitt said.

If any industry finds the work and money to hire new employees, it is good for the economy, but it is the non-traditional industries that receive the most attention.

?In non-traditional labor pools like ranching or plant nurseries, the labor pool?s going to be in shorter supply, but the loyalty will be higher,? Leavitt said.

Dr. Michael Borman, associate department head and extension specialist in the department of rangeland ecology and management, concurs with that.

?The more training, the more effective the job would be,? Borman said. ?Especially in a job like ranching, the specific lingo would have to be taught.?

Santamaria?s goal is to keep expanding the program by getting as many nurseries involved as possible. She also aims to have the nurseries know that she is there to help and is available for service.

?I think bilingual training is important for any industry,? Santamaria said. ?This provides more workers, a more comfortable environment and better communication skills.?

For more information about Santamaria?s workshops, visit the OSU North Willamette Research and Extension Center?s website.

Amanda Antell, news reporter
news@dailybarometer.com?

Source: http://www.dailybarometer.com/news/osu-training-program-prepares-spanish-speaking-nursery-workers-1.2934167

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