Praxis Packaging Strengthens Workforce with Customized Workplace English Classes

With the Literacy Center of West Michigan, Praxis offers their employees customized ESL instruction aligned with shift schedules and business needs—helping employees strengthen communication skills, gain confidence, and step into new opportunities while boosting the company’s overall workforce.

From Karen Renkema SHRM-CP, Human Resources Manager at Praxis Packaging Solutions:

Praxis Packaging has been partnering with The Literacy Center to provide ESL classes to our employees in West Michigan for several years.  They make this process easy for our business, but also for the full-time employees attending the classes.  ESL classes are held onsite and aligned with our shift times to help encourage attendance.  Each interested employee completes initial testing to benchmark their current language skills and assign the right skill level class.  

The Literacy Center takes the time to listen to the business needs to see where they can help.  They have tailored our classes to focus on providing the skillset for our employees to accurately complete production forms.  Our employees’ levels of confidence has increased as they are able to communicate with others.  The Literacy Center is a great partner, because they take the time to understand our employees and our needs.  

Christy has been our instructor during this partnership, and we see repeat employees sign up each session because she makes the class fun and meaningful.  When our employees learn this skill, it is awesome to see them grow in the company and take on other positions with higher pay and greater responsibilities.  One of our employees started with us as an entry level packager.  After attending the ESL classes and improving their English, they were able to grow into a Line Supervisor position paying $10 more an hour within 2 years.  This is a win for the employee and Praxis Packaging! 

Learn more about Customized Workplace English classes for your employees by contacting Marcus Little, senior director of programs, at info@literacycenterwm.org. Many businesses use Michigan’s GoingPro funding to support this work. Costs are determined based on a per-person rate depending on cohort size.