Enhancing Access to Workforce Training - A Guide to Supporting Multilingual Learners’ Participation in Integrated Education and Training - July 2, 2024

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Fahsai

Guide developed by the Enhancing Access for Refugees and New Americans (EARN) project for adult education providers delivering Integrated Education and Training (IET). Explains IET’s required integrated, concurrent, and contextualized components, including adult education and literacy, workforce training, and workforce preparation, and highlights expectations such as shared learning objectives, occupationally relevant materials, and alignment with state standards. Provides background on workforce training access for multilingual learners and outlines common participation barriers and strategies across design, partnerships, advising, and instruction.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages21

Reading Time53 min

AccessFree to download

A Guide to Supporting Multilingual Learners’ Participation in IET

About the Project

Introduction

Understanding IET for Multilingual Learners

Exhibit 1. WIOA IET Requirements

Federal IET Requirements

Enhancing Access for Refugees and New Americans Enhancing Access to Workforce Training: A Guide to Supporting Multilingual Learners’Participation in Integrated Education and Training JULY 2 0 2 4 Acknowledgments This guide was developed by the Enhancing Access for Refugees and New Americans (EARN) project, awarded to RTI International, with funding from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE) (Contract No. GS00F354CA/91990021F0348) . The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily represent the positions or policies of the U.S. Department of Education, and no official endorsement by the U.S. Department of Education should be inferred. The guide was developed by the RTI project team. Many thanks to the U.S. Department of Education staff who reviewed and supported the development of this guide. About the Project Funded by OCTAE, the EARN project aims to support adult educators in developing and delivering high-quality Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education (IELCE) and Integrated Education and Training (IET) programming in alignment with an immigrant integration approach. For more information or resources created by the EARN project, visit [https://l](https://l)[incs.ed.gov](incs.ed.gov). Introduction In 2021, the White House described the important contributions that immigrants make to the U.S. workforce, such as how they increase the size of the labor pool and improve productivity and innovation.1 Adult education programs, funded under Title II of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) of 2014, play a critical role in preparing immigrants and New Americans—referred to here as multilingual learners—for employment. In addition to building multilingual learners’ English language skills, adult education programs may also support workforce preparation and training. Addressing multilingual learners’ economic integration needs, one of the three pillars of immigrant integration, along with civic and linguistic integration,2 includes being able to navigate key economic systems—like the U.S. workforce—and building workforce preparation and digital literacy skills to ensure that multilingual learners can fully participate in the U.S. economy. Workforce training can be any type of formal training program that prepares adult learners for careersin a specific industry or occupational sector. This training can be delivered through bridge programming,* dedicated workforce training, or integrated education and training (IET) programs. Currently, only a small percentage of multilingual learners enroll in IET programs, but participation is growing.3 For example, in the 2022–2023 program year, there were more than 434,000 individuals enrolled in English language acquisition (ELA) or Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education (IELCE) classes nationally, and just over 5,484 (1 .34%) of those individuals participated in IET programming.4 Therefore, adult education providers have a critical role to play in making sure that multilingual learners can access IETs and be successful once enrolled. This guide is designed for adult education providers who are already offering IET programming or connections to IET programs. The guide describes the required components of IET, potential barriers for multilingual learners, and, finally, strategies for supporting their participation and success in education and workforce training. The strategies focus on four key topics: program design, partnerships, navigation and advising, and instructional approaches. For each strategy, the guide summarizes actions to take and additional resources to explore. * The term “bridge” is used to refer to different readiness activities that prepare learners for their next steps in a career pathway. These activities include bridge programs, on-ramps, preparation courses, pre-IET programs, and bootcamps. For more information, see [https://lincs.ed.gov/sites/default/files/EARNBridgeS

FAQs

What is Integrated Education and Training (IET) for multilingual learners?

IET combines basic skills instruction with workforce training and workforce preparation delivered concurrently and contextually, often including contextualized English language instruction for the workplace.

What federal requirements define an IET program?

An IET must integrate, deliver concurrently and contextually adult education and literacy, workforce training, and workforce preparation, meet intensity and quality expectations, use occupationally relevant materials, maintain a single set of learning objectives, align with state content standards, and be part of a career pathway.

Who is this guide intended for and what does it provide?

The guide is designed for adult education providers already offering IET programming or connections to IET programs, describing required IET components, potential barriers, and strategies across program design, partnerships, navigation and advising, and instructional approaches.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Fahsai