>> MARIA "GINA" CRESPO WAS A MEDICAL TECHNICIAN IN HER NATIVE
PUERTO RICO.
BUT FOLLOWING HURRICANE MARIA, CRESPO SAID SHE
WAS MERELY SURVIVING THERE AND RELOCATED TO WESTERN
MASSACHUSETTS ABOUT A YEAR AGO TO LIVE LIFE FULLY.
SHE SAID THE NEW ARRIVALS PROGRAM AT HOLYOKE COMMUNITY
COLLEGE IS HELPING HER DO THAT.
I SPOKE WITH CRESPO AND PROGRAM COORDINATOR LAURA PORTER TO
LEARN MORE.
>> I THINK IT WAS A COLLABORATIVE WORKING WITH MASS
HIRE EMPLOYMENT BOARD AND HOLYOKE COLLEGE, SO THE CAREER
CENTER SYSTEM HAS REALLY WANTED TO PROVIDE SUPPORT BECAUSE THIS
AREA IS A BIG CENTER FOR RELOCATION AND BECAUSE WE HAVE
PUERTO RICANS IN THIS AREA ALREADY.
IT'S ALREADY A POINT THAT MANY PEOPLE WOULD WANT TO COME TO
BECAUSE THEY ALREADY HAVE FAMILY OR FRIENDS HERE SO THERE WAS A
VERY LARGE INFLUX OF PEOPLE WHO CAME AFTER THE HURRICANES AND IT
WAS REALLY IMPORTANT TO START TO TRY TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO HELP
THEM GET JOBS AND ALSO TO GIVE THEM ENGLISH SUPPORT SERVICES SO
THEY'D BE MORE EMPLOYABLE IN THE PROCESSED.
>> SO MARIA YOU SETTLED IN THE CHICK PI AREA; RIGHT?
>>IO. >> AND IT'S BECAUSE YOU HAVE
FAMILY HERE.
>> MY SISTER.
>> HAD YOU BEEN HERE PRIOR TO THE HURRICANE TO VISIT.
>> YES, TWO TIMES.
>> AND SO WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO LEAVE PUERTO RICO THIS TIME
AROUND AND SETTLE MORE PERMANENTLY HERE.
>> OKAY.
>> AFTER HURRICANE MARIA WE DON'T HAVE FOOD, ELECTRICITY
WATER AND I HAVE A DAUGHTER WITH A MEDICAL CONDITION AND THAT WAS
THE REASON THAT I CAME HERE.
FOR MORE HELP, MORE OPPORTUNITIES.
>> AND THEN ONCE YOU SETTLED HERE HOW DID YOU FIND OUT ABOUT
THE PROGRAM AT HOLYOKE COLLEGE?
>> I WAS TOLD ABOUT IT. >> AND WHY DID YOU THINK, AH,
THIS WOULD BE A GOOD FIT.
MAYBE I SHOULD PARTICIPATE?
>> YES BECAUSE I HAVE TO IMPROVE MY ENGLISH.
I WANT TO CONTINUE WORKING LIKE IN PUERTO RICO, AND THAT'S WHY
I'M INTERESTED IN THAT PROGRAM.
>> AND SO, LAURA, AS I UNDERSTAND THE NUTS AND BOLTS
PARTICIPANTS AS MARIA SAID WORK ON THEIR ENGLISH SKILLS IF THEY
WANT TO BUT ALSO THERE'S SOME ADJUSTMENTS THAT YOU HELP THEM
UNDERSTAND ABOUT LIFE HERE AND THE REGION SERVICES THEY MIGHT
WANT TO ACCESS AND EVENTUALLY LINKING TO RESUME-BUILDING AND
POTENTIALLY JOBS.
WHERE DID THOSE NUTS AND BOLTS OF THE PROGRAM COME FROM?
>> I THINK AGAIN REALLY THINKING ABOUT WHAT ARE THE PIECES THAT
PEOPLE NEED TO BE ABLE TO BE EMPLOYABLE.
SO WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH THE TWO -- THE MASS HOLYOKE AND MASS
SPRINGFIELD AND REALLY SORT OF IDENTIFYING WHAT IS IT THAT
EMPLOYERS ARE LOOKING FOR AND IN SOME CASES THAT STUDENTS NEED TO
BE PREPARED FOR TRAINING PROGRAMS THAT MIGHT BE THEIR
NEXT STEPS TO BE MOVING TOWARD CAREERS THAT THEY'RE INTERESTED
IN.
SO MOST STUDENTS, YOU KNOW, REALLY URGENTLY NEED EMPLOYMENT
OF ANY SORT JUST TO SORT OF GET STABILIZED SO WE'RE HELPING THEM
WITH RESUMES AND COVER LETTERS AND INTERVIEWING SKILLS AND ALSO
REALLY HELPING THEM DEVELOP AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE CULTURAL
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PUERTO RICO AND LIVING HERE IN THIS REGION.
SO THOSE ARE KIND OF SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECES THAT WERE
REALLY EMPHASIZED IN THE ENGLISH CLASSES TO SUPPORT EMPLOYMENT
FOR THE STUDENTS.
>> AND SO, MARIA, I UNDERSTAND FOR YOU WHEN YOU WERE IN
PUERTO RICO, YOU'RE A MEDICAL TECHNICIAN?
>> IT'S LIKE A -- YES, A MEDICAL TECHNICIAN AND I WAS WORKING IN
PUERTO RICO MEDICAL SCIENCE.
THE COMPANY NAME IS ASEAN WHICH MEANS IN SPANISH
ADMINISTRATION -- [SPEAKING SPANISH]
>> AND I WAS WORKING MEDICAL LABORATORY BLOOD BANK,
TRANSFUSION SERVICES.
>> AND SO ARE YOU ABLE ABLE TO PICK UP WHERE YOU LEFT OFF IN
THE UNITED STATES OR IS THERE SOME MORE TRAINING THAT NEEDS TO
GO ON?
>> YES, I NEED TO -- TO GET MY CERTIFICATE OR LICENSE BECAUSE
IN PUERTO RICO, YOU DON'T NEED THE LICENSE FOR -- FOR THAT
WORK.
>> AND HOW LONG HAD YOU BEEN IN THAT LINE OF WORK IN
PUERTO RICO.
>> 20 YEARS.
>> SO YOU'VE BEEN IN THIS LINE OF WORK FOR QUITE SOME TIME
THEN.
>> YES. >> AND I KNOW WHEN I'VE SPOKEN
WITH SOME LEGISLATORS HERE IN THIS REGION THERE HAD BEEN KIND
OF A PUSH TO HELP PEOPLE FROM PUERTO RICO LOOK AT THE
POSSIBILITY OF, YOU KNOW, NOT TRANSFERRING YOUR LICENSE
NECESSARILY BUT SOME OVERLAP SO THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE
PROFESSIONALS LIKE MARIA, WHO HAVE 20 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE,
MIGHT NOT HAVE TO GO AND START THE PROCESS OVER BUT ARE THEY
GOING TO HAVE TO DO THAT IN THE SHORT-TERM?
>> IT DEPENDS WHAT THEIR BACKGROUND IS AND WHAT THEIR
PREVIOUS EDUCATION WAS.
SO WE ACTUALLY HAVE ANOTHER TRAINING PROGRAM PARTICULARLY
FOCUSED ON NURSES AND THAT'S TO HELP PREPARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE
DEGREE AND EXPERIENCE IN IN YOUR TAK
-- IN NURSING TO TAKE THE CERTIFICATION TEST TO CONTINUE
WORKING AS NURSES SO SOMETHING LIKE MARIA'S BACKGROUND WE DON'T
HAVE AN EXACT TRANSFER OF THOSE CREDENTIALS SO SHE WILL NEED TO
CONTINUE WITH TRAINING TO BRING HER UP TO SPEED AND GET HER THE
CERTIFICATIONS THAT SHE NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE IN THAT
MEDICAL DIRECTION BUT I THINK THAT'S BEEN A HIGH PRIORITY FOR
US IS TO TRY TO HELP PEOPLE TRANSFER AS MUCH OF THEIR
BACKGROUND EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS TOWARD AN APPLICABLE CAREER
HERE, YOU KNOW, AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
>> I UNDERSTAND YOU'RE GOING TO START THE NEW TRAINING PROGRAM
IN FEBRUARY AT HOLYOKE ARE TRYING TO SO WHAT ARE YOU DOING
FOR WORK RIGHT NOW.
>> I'M WORKING IN THE RETAIL STORE.
IT'S MARSHAL HOME GOODS.
AND I WORK THERE PART-TIME.
>> A LITTLE WHILE AGO LAURA TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THE
CULTURAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN HERE AND PUERTO RICO.
IS THERE ANYTHING THAT STOOD OUT FOR YOU AS NEW OR DIFFERENT OR
SURPRISING AS YOU, YOU KNOW, TAKEN UP MORE PERMANENT
RESIDENCE IN CHICK PI?
>> YES -- CHICOPEE.
>> THE WEATHER IS DIFFERENT, IT'S A LITTLE COLDER.
IN PUERTO RICO, YOU SEE YOUR NEIGHBOR.
I DON'T KNOW MY NEIGHBOR HERE.
[LAUGH] I THINK THAT THE PEOPLE IS
WORKING A LOT AND GET TO THEIR HOUSES AND LIVE IN THEIR HOUSES
BUT DON'T SHARE WITH THEIR NEIGHBOR.
>> SO LESS OF A SENSE OF COMMUNITY IT SOUNDS LIKE.
>> YES, YES. >> IS THAT SOMETHING YOU MISS.
>> YES.
>> ANY -- AS THE GROUP WORKED TOGETHER -- THERE'S ABOUT 30S
DIFFERENT PEOPLE AS I UNDERSTAND IT -- 30 DIFFERENT PEOPLE AS I
UNDERSTAND IT. IS THERE AN EFFORT TO TRY TO
BUILD COMMUNITY WITHIN THAT GROUP?
>> ABSOLUTELY, YES.
OH, YEAH, THAT'S ALWAYS A REALLY BIG PRIORITY BECAUSE WE WANT OUR
STUDENTS TO FEEL LIKE THEY COME TO CLASS AND THEY HAVE A
COMMUNITY, WHERE, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE LEFT BEHIND FRIENDS AND
FAMILY BUT THEY COME AND THEY START TO BUILD NEW RELATIONSHIPS
AND GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER A LOT BECAUSE THEY SPEND SO MANY HOURS
IN CLASS TOGETHER AND, YOU KNOW, GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER AND HAVE
A SUPPORT SYSTEM THERE.
>> YEAH.
FOR YOU HAVE YOU HAD A DESIRE OR HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO BACK
IN PUERTO RICO TO SEE WHAT CONDITIONS ARE LIKE JUST A PAST
YEAR -- WELL, MORE THAN A YEAR AFTER HURRICANE MARIA?
>> YES, MAYBE I GO TO PUERTO RICO ON VACATION.
TO VISIT FAMILY AND FRIENDS.
>> BUT FOR NOW YOU'RE HERE AND YOU'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO, I
IMAGINE, STARTING THIS NEW PORTION OF YOUR LIFE
>> YES, YES, BECAUSE -- I FEEL -- SOMETIMES I FEEL LONELY
BUT I AM NOT LONELY BECAUSE I'M WITH FAMILY HERE.
I HAVE BROTHERS AND SISTERS THAT LIVE IN MASSACHUSETTS, BUT IT'S
NOT THE SAME.
[LAUGH] >> YEAH.
>> BUT I CAN ACCLIMATE VERY WELL TO THE WEATHER AND TO THE
CULTURE.
>> TRYING OUT THOSE NEW THINGS.
>> AND HOW ABOUT FOR OTHER PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THE PROGRAM,
LAURA, OBVIOUSLY, MARIA HAS A JOB AND SHE'S LOOKING AT GETTING
HER PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIALS BACK IN LINE.
EVERYONE IN THE PROGRAM ABLE TO MAKE THE SAME STEPS OR IS IT A
RANGE OF -- >> IT'S A RANGE.
SHE WAS ABLE TO PROVIDE TWO LEVELS OF ENGLISH TRAINING SO
MARIA IS IN THE HIGHER-LEVEL GROUP, THE LEVEL 3 CLASS AND
THEN WE ALSO HAD A LEVEL 2 CLASS.
THOSE STUDENTS, I WOULD SAY MAYBE A QUARTER OF THEM TO A
THIRD HAVE EMPLOYMENT.
EITHER THEY GOT EMPLOYMENT DURING THAT PERIOD OF CLASSES OR
THEY ALREADY HAD EMPLOYMENT AND CERTAINLY EVERYONE IS CONTINUING
TO GET SUPPORT TO MOVE FORWARD TOWARD EMPLOYMENT GOALS.
WE WILL BE PROVIDING ADDITIONAL SUPPORT OVER THE NEXT MONTH OR
TWO JUST TO KIND OF TRANSITION PEOPLE OUT OF THAT REGULAR CLASS
STRUCTURE TOWARD, YOU KNOW -- KIND OF FINALIZING THEIR
SUPPORT FROM HGS AS FAR AS THE ENGLISH DEVELOPMENT AND
CONNECTING THEM TO NEXT STEPS WHETHER IT'S TRAINING PROGRAMS
OR TYING UP LOSE ENDS THAT MAYBE THEY NEED SOME SUPPORT WITH
SPECIFIC AREAS OR QUESTIONS THAT THEY HAVE BUT THEY'RE ALSO GOING
TO CONTINUE WORK CLOSELY WITH THEIR COUNSELORS WITH THE
COLLEGES AND WE'VE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH THEM REGULARLY SO THERE'S A
GOOD COLLABORATION THERE AND THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY GRANT FUNDING
PROVIDED FOR ENGLISH GLASSES BUT IT REALLY IS -- CLASSES BUT IT
REALLY IS MOSTLY TIED TO EMPLOYMENT AND THE OUTCOMES FROM
THAT FUNDING ARE REALLY THROUGH THE CAREER CENTERS TO MAKE SURE
THAT EVERYONE GETS JOBS.