Article: Lack of Language Diversity Hinders Business in Greater Cincinnati

From http://communitypress.cincinnati.com/article/AB/20111030/BIZ01/110300306/Lack-diversity-hinders-region?odyssey=nav%7Chead

Lack of diversity hinders Greater Cincinnati
Bilingual scarcity hurts businesses, threatens loss of Chiquita
by Laura Baverman
October 30, 2011

As affairs of the region go global, so grows the need for workers to be fluent in the languages and customs of people they serve.

But increasingly, that need is becoming harder to fill in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.

Many local manufacturing and chemical companies have begun to expand their businesses overseas with the U.S. economy in decline, says Alfonso Cornejo, president of the Hispanic Chamber Cincinnati USA. Local call centers are hiring Spanish speakers to service the growing population of Hispanics, he says.

But corporations that wish to recruit bilingual workers face many challenges.

Immigration laws can make it extremely difficult and costly to bring native workers into the United States, says Jason Riveiro, former state director for LULAC Ohio and a Cincinnati City Council candidate.

The nation's education system also hasn't prioritized for its students to become fluent in other languages. Most local elementary school language programs are focused on English training for immigrant students. Traditional high school language programs typically provide only introductory study.

Most colleges don't even require students to take language courses. Northern Kentucky University has seen gradual declines in both Spanish and international studies majors in recent years.

Read the full article at http://communitypress.cincinnati.com/article/AB/20111030/BIZ01/110300306/Lack-diversity-hinders-region?odyssey=nav%7Chead