The YMCA of Greater Boston is offering a special ESOL professional development course for non-English speaking employees in Newton, Needham and the surrounding area. The grant, offered thanks to the MA Workforce Development Fund, allows small businesses to host classes at their own business or send their employees to join a class at a different business.

Each class includes a certified ESOL teacher, topical workforce curriculum and 48 hours of class time. A typical course has two hours of class twice per week (four hours of class per week), however the schedule is flexible to match your business’ needs.

The grant requires that participating employees are paid their base hourly wage for the time that they spend in class. These professional development hours are not eligible for overtime rates. The employees' wage is the only cost to employers – all other costs are covered by the grant. For more information and to enroll your employees, contact Grace Murray at the YMCA International Learning Center: gmurray@ymcaboston.org or (617) 933-0517.