The Background
CertaPro Painters® of Indianapolis is a locally owned and operated painting company based in Indianapolis. They provide professional residential and commercial painting services, including associated carpentry, cabinetry, and drywall repair.
The Challenge
CertaPro Painters® of Indianapolis employs many people for whom English is a second language. They are predominantly native Spanish speakers. When management, clients, or other team members primarily speak English, miscommunication can lead to errors, inefficiencies, or safety concerns. Important instructions, safety protocols, and client preferences may be misunderstood. Another challenge with the language barrier is the training and advancement of skilled workers who may not advance to supervisory roles if they lack English proficiency.
The Solution
LTC designs training programs for specific purposes. Within our methodology, training content is prepared which is appropriate to the roles and current language skills of the workers who will need the English training. LTC limits classes to 10 students so that everyone has ample opportunity for practice in class and easy access to the instructor during class. In addition to training skilled workers in English language skills, an English-speaking supervisor was also trained in Spanish so he could better meet the workers in the middle, showing solidarity and commitment by management to a more integrated, efficient, and communicative workforce.
The Results
The results are in the many tangible and intangible benefits of greater English proficiency in their workforce. Improved communication and morale lead to smoother job site operations. Fewer misunderstandings between management, clients, and crew members lead to faster project completion. Happy clients lead to more referrals and repeat business. As with other organizations who implement language training, CertaPro Painters® employees feel valued and invested in, which reduces turnover and hiring costs. Skilled painters who improve their English can be promoted to crew leads or supervisors, creating a stronger internal pipeline for leadership.
About LTC
LTC Language Solutions is a language service provider (LSP) offering solutions for local and national companies, organizations, government agencies, and individuals since 1993. LTC provides language training, cross cultural training, interpretation, translation, repatriation, language assessments, interpreter training, and people skills training. LTC has gained a reputation for high-quality, customized services provided through long-term relationships, maintaining some of the same clients for over 30 years.
