Serving Internationally Trained Professionals in IELCE Activities

Adult education programs often provide English language acquisition (ELA) services to Internationally Trained Professionals (ITPs). Programs can leverage Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education (IELCE) activities to offer ITPs more individualized and strategic services.

Author(s)
Dani Scherer
Jessie Stadd
Author(s) Organizational Affiliation
World Education
RTI International
Publication Year
2023
Resource Type
Instructional Material
Number of Pages
10
Abstract

Internationally Trained Professionals (ITPs) bring many assets to their communities, educational programs, and workplaces. These assets include international credentials, multiple languages and literacies, professional work experience, and experience building social capital. IELCE/IET programming can leverage these assets to accelerate the progress of ITPs toward careers that match their education and professional experience. States, adult education programs, teachers, and navigators can take action to improve the experience and outcomes for ITPs enrolled in adult education programming. States can support adult education programs in serving ITPs by providing guidance, technical assistance, and resources to identify current and potential students who are ITPs and by leveraging expertise across the state. Understanding the assets and needs of ITPs enables programs to better design services and develop partnerships that meet the unique needs and leverage the assets of each ITP. Lastly, career navigators and instructors provide direct services to ITPs through providing robust navigation and advising services and providing targeted and contextualized English Language Acquisition instruction. Resources to learn more about supporting ITPs are included. 

Benefits and Uses

This spotlight shares practices that states, programs, and practitioners can use to support ITPs in applying their assets, skills, and credentials to achieve economic integration. Examples of practices in action are provided. 

Additionally, this spotlight refers to OCTAE Program Memo 19-2, which outlines when IELCE funding can be used to support the foreign credential evaluation of ITPs. Per OCTAE Program Memo 19-2, IELCE funding can be used when ITPs are enrolled or enrolling in IET programs where credential evaluation is necessary, reasonable, and allocable to the adult education program and necessary to achieve the purposes of the IET program. 

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