Building Pathways to Opportunity: Highlights from 2026 ESOL Skills Training Fair

ENB’s 2026 ESOL Skills Training Fair brought together hundreds of community members, workforce partners, and training providers for 2 days centered on opportunity, growth, and connection. Across the two sessions, more than 300 attendees explored career pathways, training opportunities, and resources designed to support long-term economic mobility for immigrant and multilingual learners.

A Diverse Range of Training Opportunities

The fair featured 19 training programs presented by 13 different providers, showcasing the breadth of opportunities available across today’s evolving workforce landscape.

Programs represented eight industries, including:

• Education

• Career Advancement & Entrepreneurship

• Biotechnology

• Information Technology (IT)

• Healthcare

• Hospitality & Culinary

• Clean Energy

• Trades & Real Estate

From career coaching and English-language support to technical certifications and industry-specific training, participants were introduced to programs that can help individuals build skills or advance their careers.These programs were selected based on the factual demand for the labor market.

Thank you to the following providers taking part in this year’s ESOL Skills Training Fair:

• African Bridge Network (ABN)

• Friends of the Rafael Hernandéz School 

• YMCA of Greater Boston

• Cambridge Community Learning Center 

• Asian American Civic Association (AACA) 

• MassBioEd

• El Centro

• Per Scholas

• Catholic Charities of Boston

• Mujeres Unidas Avanzando (MUA)

• LunderCare Force Institute (Hebrew Senior Life)

• BEST Hospitality Training

• Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology

Voices from the Fair

We received positive feedback for everything from the content to the organization of the fair. Here are some of the comments from the participants and providers.

From the participants:

“This program is crucial to build a strong future.”

“Thank you for organizing this Skills Job Fair. With the increasing number of ESOL learners at our center, it is wonderful to know such extensive resources are available. The presenter did an excellent job highlighting their services and explaining how our learners can directly benefit from their programs.”

From the providers:

“It was very helpful and informative. I appreciated the time slots given to providers, which kept the event efficient and engaging without feeling drawn out.”

“I loved everything! The event is very well organized!”

Investing in Workforce Development

As industries continue to evolve and employers seek skilled talent, access to workforce training remains essential. Events like the ESOL Skills Training Fair help bridge the gap between community members and the resources available to support career advancement, especially for immigrant workers and English learners navigating new opportunities.

The strong turnout and enthusiastic feedback from both participants and providers reflect a growing demand for accessible, inclusive workforce development opportunities — and the power of collaboration in helping individuals build brighter futures.

We look forward to continuing to grow the success of the ESOL Skills Training Fair in the years to come. Whether you are a community member interested in attending future events or a skills training provider interested in participating, we encourage you to reach out to our Skills Fair Coordinator, Carolina Louback at clouback@englishfornewbostonians.org.

Word from the organizer

The ESOL Skills Training Fair is designed for adult ESOL students who are eager to build new skills to pursue their goals and open doors to new opportunities in the workforce. The fair brings together a variety of organizations from different sectors to share about their training programs in a welcoming and informative environment. The value of this event is not just in connecting English learners to training providers, but it is also an opportunity to expand their professional pathways in the United States. - Carolina Louback.

This event was sponsored by Plymouth Rock Assurance Foundation and Commonwealth Corporation Foundation