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HBI Addressing Language Barrier for Hispanic Workers
Sed de Saber™ — Construction Edition, an English as a Second Language (ESL) learning tool for the residential construction industry, is in the final stages of development and will be released at February’s International Builders’ Show in Orlando Fla., the Home Builders Institute (HBI) announced last week.
“As we all know, the first step in developing an effective quality assurance safety program is a good line of communication,” said Michael Sivage, an Albuquerque builder/developer and chairman of HBI. “For the first time, we will now have a tool that will give us the opportunity to open those lines of communication with our growing Hispanic workforce. This will improve our worker recruitment efforts, profitability, customer satisfaction and safety on the job site, as well as elevate the quality of life for this important segment of our population.”
Using world-renowned LeapFrog Enterprises technology, the seven interactive books comprising the Sed de Saber™ — Construction Edition teach Hispanic construction workers more than 500 vocabulary words and 340 phrases specific to home building — at their own pace and on their own time. The materials are being developed in partnership with Retention Education, LLC.
The program takes about 16 weeks to complete and includes an assessment tool to gauge progress at set stages. Each Sed de Saber™ kit is reusable and can be shared among workers, family and friends. “This is a breakthrough ESL tool that offers our industry a tailor-made solution to language barriers typically found on residential construction job sites nationwide,” added Sivage.
A team of educational experts has been overseeing the project to ensure that the material is accurate and relevant to the daily activities and interactions that occur on the job site.
“Retention Education partnered with HBI to produce the most pertinent, effective and specific language learning program available to the home building community,” says Bill Groux, Retention Education’s founder and chief executive officer. “Sed de Saber™ — Construction Edition is created by home builders, for home builders to foster better communication on the job site, and empower users to advance their skills — and their lives.”
The Sed de Saber™ — Construction Edition kit includes a Quantum Pad™, microphone learning system, seven books with data cartridges, headset, power adapter and carrying case.
For more information, e-mail Ashley Mills at HBI, or call her at 800-368-5242 x8926.
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