Finding a job can be a job itself, it's even harder if English isn't your first language.
Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake’s Buena Alianza program breaks the barriers for Spanish-speaking job seekers in Baltimore.
"By getting a job that's permanent, and has benefits for them, sick days, holidays that's their dream," said Barry Graham, the Manager of the Buena Alianza program.
It’s a dream he works to fulfill every day for the Latino community. He's the manager of Buena Alianza, a program that helps those where English is not their native language get a job.
"Eighty-five percent of my clients don't speak any English. Of the 85 percent, half of them don't know how to forward an email," said Graham.
Goodwill started Buena Alianza 12 years ago when it saw the need for employment preparation. It's getting those in the program set up for an interview by creating a resume, an email address, a bank account, and all that comes along with getting a job.
"We do mock interviews where we will use like, the top ten questions people ask you in an interview,” said Graham.
He said currently, there are 200 people in the program, and that number continues to grow.
“A lot of folks are coming here for the right reasons. They're coming here to set a new life for their kids, their parents,” said Graham.
The array of jobs varies from a bank teller to manufacturing to working in a hospital.
"I was looking for a job, and I got a neighbor, she knows Barry, and she gave me his number. He called me right away and said let me find something for you,” said Yara Pratts, a participant in the program.
Barry opened the door for Pratts to secure a position at Johns Hopkins, a job she had been working years to secure.
"Hopkins. I’ve been trying to get into the hospital for three years. I submitted like 18 applications," said Pratts.
Now, she's a bilingual supervisor, helping employees communicate with others who speak Spanish. Only 22 days in, she got promoted and double pay. A dream that, for Pratts, became a reality that changed her life.
"There's nothing I can put in words the way I feel for real," said Pratts.
The sky is the limit, as she encourages others who don’t speak English and may be struggling to get work to sign up for the program.
For more information on the Buena Alianza program, click here.
