The Importance of Bilingual Education and Training

By: Jose Valles, Production Animal Consultation

Language barriers and cultural differences often present challenges for the workforce of the animal agriculture industry. Understanding cultural values and establishing a bilingual training program are important for improving communication, production efficiency, safety, and employee morale.

Effective communication within cattle operations can improve employee performance, engagement, and safety. On the other hand, poor communication can create confusion, lower employee self-confidence, and negatively impact employee potential.

From past experience working with feedlots, we have seen that individuals who are not fluent in the operation’s dominant language are often apprehensive in performing their jobs, even though they want to work hard and be engaged. Goals, objectives, and instructions must be clearly communicated between management and all personnel in order to empower employees to excel at their jobs.

Production practices and techniques carried out on cattle operations are usually learned from hands-on training and written protocols put in place by consulting veterinarians, nutritionists and other professionals.

Unfortunately, some individuals may not be able to read or write in English or Spanish. Therefore, hands-on training is often more effective than utilizing written training materials.

Regardless of training method, it is important to explain not only how to perform a task but also why the task is performed and why the technique is used. This will help employees understand their role in promoting overall animal well-being.

Safety is essential on all cattle operations. Safety experts and other industry professionals provide excellent safety guidelines and training materials. However, these materials are often only available in English, and employees may discard or forget material shortly after an educational session.

Routine training in both English and Spanish is necessary to continually address safety concerns.

Hispanic individuals play a vital role in today’s cattle industry and will continue to do so in the future. We must invest in these individuals by providing effective training and establishing open lines of communication.

This investment will lead to an efficient workforce and a positive work environment for everyone involved.

To learn more about bilingual training services offered by PAC, contact Jose Valles.