Spanish for Construction
One in three professionals currently employed in the construction industry is Hispanic (31.5%); a number that continues to grow each year.
This is why growth focused companies are investing in helping non-Spanish speaking team members develop the basic construction Spanish language skills to improve communication, accessibility, and safety.
Registration for Spanish for Construction is now closed for the Spring ’25 semester.
Make sure to join the WMCI mailing list to be notified first when this class is open for enrollment again.
Course Description
Developed in partnership with the Literacy Center of West Michigan, this course teaches construction Spanish through a customized curriculum that covers the most common words and phrases used on a construction jobsite. Students will learn reading, writing, listening and speaking skills to communicate more effectively with team members in Spanish in areas of safety, work instruction, tools, and basic conversation.
There will also be opportunities to discuss cross-cultural questions related to effective teamwork and communication.
Schedule
- Dates: January 7 - March 20, 2025
- Note: there will be no class the week of March 10.
- Days of Week: Tuesdays & Thursdays
- Course Times: 7AM - 9AM
- Registration Fee: $1,250
- Instructor: Christy Dam - Literacy Center of West Michigan
- Location: West Michigan Construction Institute
The Literacy Center of West Michigan provides all levels of adult tutoring and literacy programming for the greater Grand Rapids area.
Course details
Who should attend?
This introductory-level course is intended for those who speak little to no Spanish, and is open to anyone looking to engage more effectively with their Spanish speaking team members.
What language skills will students learn?
In this introductory course, graduates will be able converse in a variety of construction applicable topics including:
- Greetings & Introductions
- Numbers
- Telling Time & Schedules
- Identifying Construction Jobs and Tools
- Talking about Safety
- Giving Instructions
What is the Literacy Center of West Michigan?
The Literacy Center of West Michigan has been working alongside community members as they improve their reading and language skills. Their work is deeply grounded in the belief that West Michigan will thrive only when we can access the assets of all our community members.
