You've probably heard of ESOL: English for Speakers of Other Languages but are you familiar with VESL? That stands for Vocational English as a Second Language. This term refers to English language programs that specifically integrate job skills and workplace competencies to improve the employability of students. Our colleague Jamille Teer (District Service Center Department of General Services and 4CS Board Member) recently attended a Laney VESL graduation ceremony and found it to be a moving experience.
"I had the honor of attending the graduation ceremony for Laney College’s immigrant and refugee students at the Lao Family Community Development Center alongside Dean Beth Maher, and it was nothing short of extraordinary," said Jamille.
The morning ceremony offered the opportunity to connect with students and their dedicated instructors Cheryl Eccles and Sarah Shaffer, part of Laney's ESOL department. Another Laney instructor, Danny Lopez, teaches the workplace math.
Jamille continued, "It was wonderful to meet the remarkable program staff who walk alongside these students every day. Most profoundly, it created space to listen—to truly listen—to the stories of our graduating students."
Students represented communities from across the globe, including Afghanistan, Mexico, Colombia, and Eritrea. Their journeys were as varied as their countries of origin: some had arrived in the United States just six months ago, while others found their way to Peralta after two decades of perseverance and hope. Each story reflected resilience, courage, and an unwavering commitment to education as a pathway to possibility.
Jamille concluded, "This celebration was a powerful reminder of who our students are, what they carry with them, and the transformative role our colleges play in their lives—and in the life of our community."
Dean Maher shared some additional background info, "Laney College offers the College Readiness noncredit program at the Lao Family Center as part of a grant Lao Family receives from Alameda County. The community organization, Lao Family Community Resources (we just call them Lao Family for short!), works with newly arrived refugees and immigrants, and offers wrap around services such as job placement, housing support, legal support and so on. The Laney team teaches four 8-week 12hour/week cohort-based classes a year to introduce newcomers to the American college system and provide pre-employment language and technology skills to help students prepare for work and for college.”
Students interested in taking the FREE Vocational English as a Second Language classes should start by visiting the Laney ESOL website at https://laney.edu/esol. We are here to help you succeed!
Many thanks to Jamille Teer and Beth Maher for this material!