NAMPA -- It’s the time of year for college graduations, but the graduation at the Hispanic Cultural Center in Nampa Friday was a little different.
The graduates are not just another group entering the workforce. That’s because they’re already in it. And their graduation might help the already improving unemployment numbers.
The graduation was for 79 Latinos who earlier this year were laid off when XL Beef in Nampa shut down.
"I'm very happy," said Francisco Anguiano after the ceremony.
The graduating class was made up entirely of older adults.
"I'm very nervous, and happy," said Balentina Sandoval after she spoke in front of the other graduates.
The class also has something else in common, before this graduation they didn’t know English.
"It's hard to learn a second language," said Josefina Escarzaga.
When XL Beef announced in April that they would lay off all 500 of its employees in June, the Department of Labor scrambled to make a soft landing for the workers.
"We knew that it was going to be a challenge to provide services for the folks," said Rico Barrera with the Idaho Department of Labor.
It was in that process that the department discovered that around 400 of the 500 employees only spoke Spanish. It was then that the department teamed up with the College of Western Idaho.
"This is terrific. This is what a community college is all about, is helping people at the community level," said Dr. Bert Glandon, President of CWI.
The goal of the course, provide an intense and accelerated six-week course teaching workplace English.
"A lot of the folks here already had skills and abilities to do the work, but you have to get over the hump of trying to communicate with the employer," said Barrera.
For Josefina Escarzaga past tense was the most difficult part of the course, just one reason why she's looking forward.
"The future, yeah, let's talk about the future," said Escarzaga with a smile on her face.
She plans to keep going in school, study and upgrade from a part-time to a full-time job as a CNA or receptionist.
"It's a wonderful experience. It's so wonderful and I feel so happy that now I have more skills to find a job and a better future for me and my family," said Escarzaga.
During the ceremony Excarzaga and Sandoval spoke in front of the group. When they were done Glandon told them that he would give them a full-tuition scholarship for their first full semester at the Nampa college. Both women say they plan to use the scholarship.
A National Emergency grant won by the Department of Labor paid for the course, allowing those who took it to learn English for free.
On Monday CWI plans to start a new class for more XL Beef employees who are still looking for work.
