Mary Lynn Bennett honored

In April the National Association of Women Business Owners of Wisconsin will present its 2001 Entrepreneurial Woman of the Year award. One of the finalists is Mary Lynn Bennett, who teaches basic English language skills to Limited English Proficient (LEP) employees at businesses in southeastern Wisconsin.

Bennett runs Bilingual Skills Services, LLC. Corporate officials say she has been a key component as she takes her classroom to the factory floor and breaks down language barriers. For corporations, her tutoring has paid off in profits and worker productivity.

“I started teaching English on the job in 1996,” said Bennett, who learned Spanish in college and studied extensively in Spain and Mexico. Bennett enters each company and devises a specific curriculum to help LEP employees who need assistance understanding the language and the job. “I’ve discovered that employees who don’t speak English do respond quickly to job commands and identify with things they work with,” said Bennett, who has taught at several Quad Graphics plants, the West Bend Company, and Capitol Stamping in Milwaukee and Fredonia.

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Six years ago Bennett saw a need for her business while teaching Spanish in the classroom. “It became apparent there were actually more people who didn’t speak English in our workforce,” she said. Knowing she would be competing with Technical College training programs, Bennett took her idea to the companies that employed Hispanics and Latinos. “It was a new niche because no one had thought to teach the LEPs on the factory floor how to do their job and tutor them in English so they could identify what they’re working with.”

Although the idea was good, Bennett admitted it was a hard sell. “People running machines don’t want to be disturbed. I had to show the bosses that if they allowed me to work with the LEPs, then productivity would rise.”

At Quad Graphics, Bennett recruited lead personnel and machine operators to help with her program. “I needed cooperation from the English employees because anyone can teach if they learn to slow down and think of language as a series of sounds.”

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In the initial stages of the program the most common complaint Bennett heard was “that Latinos talk very fast.” “We talk quickly, too,” she said. “Only we understand English, so that makes it easier.” As the classes continued, Bennett’s students learned certain skills and slowly the basic barriers were broken. “I allow the Anglo, which is anyone who speaks English, and the LEP employees to teach each other.”

Frank Arndorfer is vice president of finishing operations at Quad Graphics. He said, language not withstanding, Bennett’s real knack is not only understanding the culture but also the environment. “Most of these folks are entry-level employees, and this is a big company that can be very intimidating, particularly if you don’t have the ability to clearly communicate,” said Arndorfer, who first hired Bennett in 1999. “Mary Lynn’s understanding of the environment helps these folks make the transition so much easier.”

Arndorfer refers to Bennett’s teaching as “survival courses” because within a three-month timeframe the LEPs are able to make the transition to where they’re contributing and things start getting easier.

“One of the biggest indicators of the success of the program has been the relatively low turnover we’ve had with these folks and, No. 2, we’re starting to see quite a few of them working their way up into positions of responsibility. It shows the LEPs that they can break the mold and start becoming role models for the younger employees.”

Although Bennett’s tutoring has been deemed a success, she is the first to admit there are a lot of unforeseen challenges. “It’s impossible to learn everything about the printing industry in the limited time spent on the floor,” said Bennett about working at the Quad Graphics plant in Lomira. “One day one of the Latinos said he needed to know where the ‘bird cage’ was on the floor of Quad Graphics.”

Bennett was amazed the printing company was pet-friendly but passed the question along to the lead person. “He got this real funny look on his face,” said Bennett, who repeated the question to a second and third supervisor. “All of the English-speaking Quad employees were looking at me and finally I said: ‘What am I really asking for?’ The employees laughed and said, ‘Mary Lynn you want the divert gate.’ So that’s how interesting language is because the Anglos kept saying divert gate and the Latinos heard bird cage.”

Bennett has seen her business grow, as more companies hire Latinos because of their strong work ethic. “The potential for the LEP employee is incredible,” she said. “First, if he can better understand what’s expected of him on the job, then he is more productive and the whole company benefits.”

Not only is the size of the LEP workforce increasing, but past stereotypes are no longer standard. “Latinos work long hours, they ask for extra hours and don’t ask for a lot of breaks,” said Bennett, qualifying Christmas as the one exception when many want a month off to go home and see their families. “The stereotype of the Mexican under the tree with a sombrero, taking a siesta, doesn’t exist. The LEP workers are eager to advance and send money home,” said Bennett, quoting a recent survey that said Mexicans send $6 billion to $9 billion back to their families in Mexico each year. “That’s a considerable amount when you think the average entry-level wage in the US is about $7 an hour.” In Mexico, Bennett said, the average wage is $5 a day.

Not only has Bennett seen the need to break down language barriers at corporations, she also sees a need in neighborhoods. “The Hispanic Core Committee is designed to help Latinos become familiar with Washington County,” said Bennett, who is the Hispanic outreach coordinator at St. Francis Cabrini parish in West Bend. “The Latino community is growing and so are our meetings,” said Bennett, who sees involvement from business and local education leaders. “We now have a representative from the hospital system at the meeting, administrators from the local community college and technical college attend, as do social services.”

Nancy Slinde is the director of Continuing Education for UW-Washington County. She is also the one who nominated Bennett for the Entrepreneurial Woman of the Year award. “Mary Lynn has an absolute commitment to improving life for the Hispanic community in Washington County.” Slinde said Bennett’s service is more then just a profession, it is a vocation. “She believes in building the awareness of the needs of the Hispanic community whether it be education, social services, health, or law enforcement. She is their advocate and their friend; they go to her for many different kinds of needs. Be it jobs, medical, family information, she is their source who can connect them with people who can help.”

Bennett agreed her courses have brought respect to the LEP workforce. “The businesses are learning that they really should invest in an employee even if he or she can’t speak English. I say, invest in that employee because in the coming years the markets will really be turning toward the Latino or the Mexican.” Internally, the Latinos spend close to $600 billion inside the United States, and Bennett said that is a market any company should be eager to tap into. “Native speakers who understand the culture, language and the company can also sell the product.” Bennett is hoping that exposure helps bring more accounts to businesses across Wisconsin.

The Entrepreneurial Woman of the Year award will be presented at the end of April.

Bennett’s business Web site is www.englishonthejob.com.

April 12, 2002 Small Business Times, Milwaukee

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