Above: Students work together in the lab. Middle: Nurufu Seyfiyeva, six months’ pregnant when classes started, was back in class one week after giving birth. Bottom: Yudith Amaran, of Cuba. works 47 hours a week and goes to class. ‘I only have Sunday off,’ she says. ‘But, for my future, I try hard.’

Jeanette Tolar’s students are in the college’s dental lab tonight, but they’re learning more than dental assisting skills. They’re also learning English.

The Austin Community College District recently started a new initiative, the Vocational English as a Second Language Program, to assist the increasing number of workers who have limited English skills. Vocational ESL has launched graduates into certified nurse aide and office administration positions. Now it’s preparing future dental assistants.

“These individuals have tremendous potential to contribute to the economy, but they need assistance in improving their language skills and accessing higher skilled jobs,” says Ruthie Ford, the Continuing Education coordinator who oversees Vocational ESL.

“There’s a strong need in Central Texas for bilingual workers,” says Alan Miller, executive director for Workforce Solutions – Capital Area, which provided the funding for the program. “Workforce Solutions is proud to be involved in this innovative training that bolsters individuals’ English and occupational skills at the same time.”

Vocational ESL-Dental Assistant training began in January. Eighteen students are halfway through the 10-month training program and will have internships with area dentists starting in July. A dental assistant averages $15-$16 an hour.

“I love what I’m doing,” says Karen Espinal, originally from Honduras and one of 18 students in Tolar’s dental assistant class.

Tonight, Espinal and her classmates are donning gloves to practice placing a dam, a procedure used to prepare for dental surgery. Students have been rehearsing the procedure in the classroom, and now it’s time to practice on life-size mannequins. They’re having varying levels of difficulty – with the procedure and the language.

Nurufu Seyfiyeva, of Uzbekistan, is having a hard time placing the dam frame while wearing gloves. “This is much easier in the classroom,” Seyfiyeva says, frowning in concentration over her mannequin.

She pauses, then smiles. “My English, too.”

Seyfiyeva’s native tongue is Russian, one of 10 languages represented in this class. Spanish is the predominant language, while others include Farsi, French, Vietnamese, Japanese, Arabic, Portuguese, Nepali, and Indonesian.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 16 percent of Austin-area residents were born outside the United States, and more than 30 percent speak a language other than English at home.

“There is a great opportunity here to tap into the potential of our immigrant community,” says David Borden, interim executive director of Adult Education, which oversees the college’s noncredit ESL Program (a second program is available for more advanced, college credit students.)

“We’ve been looking for innovative ways to transition our ESL students into workforce education programs,” he says.

Adult Education first teamed with Continuing Education for Vocational ESL training for certified nurse aides, which graduated about 40 new workers so far.

“That program’s success has allowed us to change the way people think about ESL students and ESL programs,” Borden says. “It’s not just about learning English anymore. It’s about getting people into college and into better jobs.”

The Vocational ESL-Dental Assistant Program is not easy. Students go to class each evening Monday through Thursday, for a total of 15 hours of in-class dental and ESL instruction each week.

Lessons are slower paced and supplemented by videos to aid language acquisition. But this dental assistant program does not skimp on technical standards.

“My vocational ESL students are as qualified as my other students,” says Tolar, who teaches other dental assistant classes for Continuing Education Division. “They’re exactly where they should be, training-wise. By the time they complete the program in October, they’ll have all the skills that make them valuable employees.”