Michigan Dining (of the University of Michigan) has partnered with the Michigan Language Center to provide convenient English-language classes that equip employees with the professional communication needed for career advancement and staff belonging.
A Commitment to Safety and Wellbeing
With a commitment to prioritize safety in the workplace, MDining knew they needed to prevent any potential language barriers amongst their staff.
Amanda Ewing, Director of Culture & Engagement at Michigan Dining, says, “We want to make sure that all of our teams feel equipped to keep themselves and others safe.” Whether that is chemical safety, food safety, cleaning duties, or just general understanding and comfort within a work environment, it is crucial that everyone has what they need to succeed at MDining.
Investing in Career Development Pathways
With wellbeing and development serving as top priorities at MDining, this collaboration was practical and beneficial. Furthermore, this initiative was based around staff voices. Specifically, “the staff have asked us for [these classes],” Amanda explains. This ESL program was built in direct response to employee feedback, designed with two skill-based cohorts and convenient scheduling that fits into staff members’ work schedules.
This collaboration is more than just a temporary fix to learn English skills– it’s an investment in people and their long-term career development. As MDining’s higher level positions require written English competency, the Michigan Language Center’s curriculum targets specific, professional growth. Amanda asserts, “We want to make sure that English understanding isn’t a barrier to accessing those [higher-level] positions.” These classes with the Michigan Language Center pave a new pathway for long-term career growth at Michigan Dining.
Beyond the professional: the importance of staff belonging
“We used to offer ESL classes,” Amanda recalls, explaining that those earlier formats were unfortunately washed away by the pandemic in 2020. In an effort to reimplement classes that meet staff requests, MDining and the Michigan Language Center also created this initiative to address growing concerns of isolation in the workplace. Amanda notes that in the very first pilot class with MLC back in December, the staff began creating continuous relationships with each other in and out of the classroom.
One thing that I hope from this is that it helps everybody have someone that they relate to at work,” Amanda states.
Staff belonging is crucial in an age of digitization and artificial intelligence, where physical workplaces can suffer as a result. This collaboration fights to uphold MDining’s core phrase: “a place at our table,” which emphasizes the need for appreciation, diversity, and belonging in a work environment. At MDining, and in alignment with the goals of the Michigan Language Center, everyone has a place at our table. This mantra extends beyond the classroom.
“We’ve heard from the people that are in workspaces. So it’s not just the people in the class, but it’s everybody you interact with now that’s benefiting from your growth. One person getting this experience helps lift a whole team.”
– Amanda Ewing, Director of Culture and Engagement
Long-Term Vision
With around 30 interested staff members, this program has clear potential to improve employee career development within the university. Amanda’s ultimate hope for this program is that “everybody who wants to learn these skills gets to.”
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Michigan Dining serves the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor campus community through its ten residential dining facilities, more than 20 campus retail locations, and catering operations. Diners experience both delectable dishes and a learning environment.