Free Seminar/Conference Opportunity

DEVELOPING NEW YORK'S NEW WORKFORCE

While immigrants have become a fast-growing part of the workforce in nearlyevery corner of New York State, English for Speakers of Other Languages(ESOL) programs have not come close to keeping pace with the demand. TheESOL shortfall poses a serious workforce development challenge for many ofNew York's employers, threatens the state's economic competitiveness, andcould seriously impact the economic vitality of communities from Syracuse toLong Island.This first-of-its-kind conference will bring together policymakers, businessleaders, literacy advocates and adult education providers to talk about theincreasingly crucial role that English language instruction plays inworkforce development efforts around New York State. Speakers will discusswhat the governor, the legislature, municipal officials and business ownersacross the state could do to improve and expand English-language instructionfor working
New Yorkers.

Panelists will include:*Kenneth Adams*, President/CEO, The Business Council of New York State, Inc.*Bethaida Gonzalez*, Dean, University College of Syracuse University*Chung-Wha Hong*, Executive Director, New York Immigration Coalition*Martha Lopez-Hanratty*, Director, Westchester County Office for HispanicAffairs*Hon. George D. Maziarz*, Chair, Committee on Labor, New York State Senate*Manuel Rivera*, Deputy Secretary for Education, New York State*Kevin Smith*, Executive Director, Literacy New York

Admission is free but RSVP is required. Contact cuf@nycfuture.org or212-479-3341 to reserve a seat. For more on this topic, please see the Center for an Urban Future and SCAA's2006 report, *Lost inTranslation<http://www.nycfuture.org/content/cftemplates/adjump.cfm?click_id=21952&user_id=20640