We celebrate the beginning of the New Year and all the hope and opportunities it offers, while we pause and reflect on our milestones and achievements of 2023.
Over the past 12 months our language services team worked with corporate human resources and employee training, healthcare and education, and we continued our valued partnerships with local resettlement agencies and the populations they serve.
Minnesota’s cultural and linguistic diversity is rapidly expanding. The global economy is driving demand for multilingual employees with unique skill sets that include enhanced empathy, cultural awareness, and critical thinking and problem-solving abilities. Public and private employers must also consider and source language support from professional interpreters and translators when possible as part of their language access plans. Our staff recently provided onsite interpreting and translation services for limited English proficient (LEP) employees at a Hyatt Regency Minneapolis human resources event. Our multilingual talent also provided one day of onsite simultaneous interpreting at a training event hosted by our long-time client 3M. The event was an excellent example of how language access actively supports corporate training and development.
During Minnesota’s healthcare open enrollment period, our professional interpreters provide language support to the state’s healthcare marketplace (MNsure) assistors at the request of the MNsure Accessibility and Equal Opportunity Office. Our professional interpreters have also worked with Health Partners Community Paramedics during in-home healthcare visits with LEP patients. Research shows that LEP individuals disproportionately experience gaps in health insurance and access to care, and removing language barriers for this population can improve outcomes along the healthcare continuum.
We are proud to be a State of Minnesota approved language services provider and our talented interpreters work with school districts throughout the state. This fall we joined U.S. Department of Education (ED) Special Assistant Cecily Darden, St. Paul Public Schools (SPPS) leaders and families at Benjamin E. Mays IB World School and provided language support for families who participate in home visits as part of the SPPS Early Childhood Birth-3 Special Education (ECSE) services.
Minnesota welcomed over 1300 Afghan evacuees as part of Operation Allies Welcome (OAW) Minnesota. Our partner and global nonprofit Alight (formerly the American Refugee Committee) created the Welcome Home Initiative that has evolved to include community-based programs created in collaboration with Afghan women and children. Our Dari and Pashto interpreters provided comprehensive language support for these valuable community-building events.
The local conditions for language services continue to change rapidly, and we are proud to play a role in improving and providing professional language support and access to our valued partners and clients. Happy New Year and best wishes for 2024, from all of us at University Language Center.