English for a Strong Economy
The English for a Strong Economy (ESE) Coalition is a broad and diverse coalition made up of immigrant serving and workforce development nonprofits, business groups, and other like-minded organizations who understand that systemic change in the ELL space is needed now more than ever. As the Massachusetts economy continues to require more workers who speak English for specific workplace settings, our Coalition is dedicated to advancing meaningful and impactful legislation that will help individuals and families advance economically and will strengthen our communities for decades to come.
Our Vision
We envision a Massachusetts where every immigrant and English language learner (ELL) can easily access the services they need—whether it's English language education, legal aid, healthcare, workforce training, or community integration.
By creating a unified and holistic network of community organizations, government agencies, and employers, we’ll close service gaps, streamline referrals, and deliver culturally responsive support that will not only help immigrants navigate their immediate needs but also support their long-term goals, whether that’s advancing in their careers, obtaining credentials, or achieving specific personal or professional milestones. This system will provide clear pathways to economic mobility, empower immigrant families, and strengthen the state's economic and social fabric. Through strategic collaboration, resource sharing, and continuous impact measurement and improvement, we’ll ensure immigrants have the tools and support to thrive, contributing to stronger, more vibrant communities and thriving economy across the Commonwealth.
Our Core Principles:
Principle 1: The system must prioritize vocational ESOL education and services. The overarching focus of a coordinated ESOL and workforce system must prioritize vocational English and career pathway supports to support economic prosperity for immigrant workers, families, and to supply employers with a skilled workforce.
Principle 2: The system must be inclusive and responsive. The state’s English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) system should be more inclusive and responsive to immigrants with diverse educational, professional, economic, and immigration backgrounds and with diverse goals.
Principle 3: The system must incorporate expert voices and lived experience from the field. Strategy, planning, and implementation for the state’s ESOL system shall include representation from stakeholder groups that are diverse by geography and by sector, including: Immigrant workers, ESOL students, ESOL teachers, community-based ESOL providers, vocational and workplace ESOL providers, workforce development providers, community colleges and higher education providers, employers, labor, and private funders.
Principle 4: The system must have interagency coordination. The state’s ESOL strategy and ESOL system should be driven by comprehensive interagency coordination, collaboration, communication, and creativity among the state’s workforce development, education, and immigrant and refugee serving agencies.
Our FY27 Legislative Agenda
- $60M for Adult Basic Education (ABE)/English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), administered by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) (7035-0002)
- $10M for Vocational ESOL administered in coordination with the Workforce Skills Cabinet (1596-2514)
FY27 Budget
H.2080/S.1326. “An Act to Promote Economic Mobility Through ESOL.”
Sponsored by Reps. Cruz and Mendes, and Sen. Feeney
This bill will do the following: 1) Create an "ESOL for economic mobility coordinator" position (ESOL Coordinator) within the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development (EOLWD) to develop a statewide, comprehensive, actionable strategy to prepare newly arrived and other English Language Learners with the English language skills needed to fill in-demand jobs across Massachusetts. The ESOL Coordinator shall manage and coordinate all efforts through and with the Workforce Skills Cabinet, which includes the Executive Offices of Labor and Workforce Development, Education, Economic Development, and Health and Human Services. 2) Launch an ESOL for Economic Mobility pilot program administered by the ESOL Coordinator to provide vocational ESOL education leading to opportunities for employment to newly arrived, long-time unemployed, and underemployed English language learners that meet the immediate demands of employers.
ESE Coalition Steering Committee
The Boston Foundation
Vetto Casado
Juliana Brandao
Sam Chambers
Caribbean Youth Club
Nickey Nesbeth
Therese Fitzgerald
Catholic Charities Boston
Jacqueline Chernoble
English for New Bostonians
Claudia Green
Carly Burton
Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action (JALSA)
Cindy Rowe
Julia Schlozman
JVS Boston
Amy Nishman
Massachusetts Association of Community Colleges (MACC)
Lisa Carchia
Sean Dadsetan-Foley
MassINC
Ben Forman
MIRA Coalition
Liz Sweet
Amy Grunder
SkillWorks
Andre Green
Kaitlyn Bean
Workforce Solutions Group (WSG)
Tim Sullivan
Media and Resources
State of Our Workforce Episode 45.5 - Unpacked: Building Systems That Work for Immigrant Workers: Lessons From Boston feat. Andre Green (Podcast: National Fund for Workforce Solutions, November 2025)
Funding was the start – now we need to build out systems to help our immigrant workforce learn English(Andre Green, CommonWealth Beacon, October 2025).
Addressing the Labor Shortage in Massachusetts: Engaging Untapped Talent (Eastern Bank, SkillWorks, Harvard Project on Workforce, 2023)
Immigration is Vital to US & Massachusetts (Boston University, 2024)
Massachusetts Competitiveness Index (MA Taxpayers Foundation, 2024)
Massachusetts Needs an Actionable Strategy to Expand ESOL Services(MassINC, 2024)
Tapping Untapped Talent: How Foreign-Educated Immigrants Can Strengthen the Massachusetts Economy (Massachusetts Business Roundtable, 2023)
The ROI of ESOL: The Economic and Social Return on Investment for ESOL Programs in Greater Boston (The Boston Foundation; 2019)