Los Angeles Valley College
Vocational Education/Training for
Limited English Proficient CalWORKS Participants

Food Service
Employment Survival Skills/Certified Nurse Assistant/Home Health Aide Program
Office/Clerical

Food Service

The Food Service program focuses on English taught in the context of acquiring actual job skills. The curriculum includes ESL/VESL immersion, food service training, and job placement and follow-up assistance. Participants attend morning VESL classes (Monday through Thursday) and afternoon Food Service.

VESL Immersion : The intensive VESL component of the curriculum is open-entry and taught concurrently with food service training. The curriculum, consisting of levels 0 through 4, includes lessons related to everyday living and vocabulary necessary to succeed in the world of work. Students are placed in levels as recommended by a State approved placement test. Level 0 is for students with little or no English acquisition skills. Levels 1 and 2 are for students at elementary levels in understanding spoken English and in reading and writing simple English sentences. Levels 3 and 4 include topics introduced in earlier courses and the development of critical thinking skills. Examples of topics to be covered include Occupations; Looking for a Job; Filling out a Job Application; Social Interactions; Food Preparations, such as Soups, Sauces, Meat, Poultry, Shellfish, Vegetables, Potatoes, Salads, Dairy Products, and Desserts; Shopping for Food; Ordering Food; and Understanding Recipes

Job Readiness : Students learn about a team-oriented working environment and employee advancement within a company, d ecision making/problem solving communication and strategies customer service skills. They are assisted with employment strategies, such as resume writing, mock interviews, job search using the Internet, understanding of qualifications, and communication with employers. Business partners and program staff work together to assist with job placement and follow-up activities. Businesses, such educational facilities, provide job placements for qualified participants. Eligible CalWORKs participants receive paid work-study through the campus CalWORKs program and additional case management services, such as financial assistance for childcare and post-employment services through Maximus and ACS. The program counselor encourages participants to pursue career ladder options, such as continued education and training.

Food Service Training : The focus of this hands-on workshop is to prepare students for the Food Service Industry while learning English vocabulary related to food preparation. Demonstrations are provided on how to prepare nutritious and delicious food in a safe environment. The fifteen-week open-entry course consists of topics, such as The Organization of a Modern Kitchen, Standards of Professionalism, Basic Cooking Principles, and Sanitation and Safety in Preparation for the “ServeSafe” Examination.

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Employment Survival Skills/
Certified Nurse Assistant/Home Health Aide Program

Los Angeles Valley College provides Certified Nurse Training to English Language Learners. The program combines intensive ESL/VESL curriculum with career training and employment preparation. The focus is on English taught in the context of acquiring actual job skills. The curriculum includes three components: (1) VESL immersion (2) Employment Survival Skills/Certified Nurse Assistant/Home Health Aide (ESS/CNA/HHA), and (3) employment, job placement, and follow-up assistance. ESS/CNA/HHA training takes place for 20 weeks, after participants enhance their English acquisition skills.

VESL Immersion: The VESL curriculum consists of lessons related to vocabulary necessary to succeed in the world of work. Examples of topics include Personal Data, Numbers, Colors, Days of the Weeks, Occupations, Transportation, Community Resources, Family Relationships, Personal Care, Body Parts, and Health.

Customer Service and Job Readiness : The purpose is to create a team-oriented working environment, upgrade skills, and encourage employee advancement. The component provides customer service and life skills while upgrading vocational English skills. The curriculum utilizes role-playing, exercises, and assignments to be completed at home. An additional section of the curriculum offers job preparation assistance, such as resume writing, mock interviews, job search, understanding of qualifications, and communication with employers

Employment Survival Skills, Certified Nurse Assistant, and Home Health Aide : This three-pronged design prepares entry-level students for a career in the Health Care profession and enables students to attain Certified Nurse Assistant and Home Health Aide State licenses. The focus is on short-term, intensive training.

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Office/Clerical

The program provides training in everyday office procedures, keyboarding, computer skills, business English, vocabulary, and office professionalism. This innovative program offers group and individualized instruction, concurrent vocational ESL classes, flexible computer lab hours, and tutoring. This is an open-entry computer workshop, which enables students to practice and learn everyday office procedures. As with CNA and Food Service, students are provided with intensive ESL/VESL courses and employment assistance.

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