Massachusetts has a major English-learning bottleneck: ~480,000 working-age residents (about 10% of the workforce) have limited English proficiency. Analysts estimate that lifting proficiency by one level could add $3B in annual earnings statewide; yet vocational ESOL capacity remains thin and funding per LEP adult has fallen over two decades.
This matters for Haitian communities concentrated in MA (alongside FL and NY). Targeted ESOL + career-focused translation and interpreting (résumés, credentials, licensing paperwork, interview support) can speed labor-market entry in healthcare support, hospitality, and other in-demand roles where many Haitians already work.
