Lippert, a major manufacturer in Elkhart County, is expanding its employee education efforts by partnering with Goshen College to offer English classes for non-native speakers and Spanish lessons for English-speaking supervisors.
The initiative builds on Lippert’s existing relationship with Elkhart Adult Education, where the company has long provided English as a New Language (ENL) classes to team members.
“We have about 4,000 team members around Elkhart County,” said Matt Jerlecki, Director of Learning at Lippert. “We have been partnering with Elkhart Adult Education to provide ENL classes; English as a new language to our existing team members.”
With support from Goshen College, Lippert now offers additional English courses on the college campus. Workers attend classes twice a week for 16 weeks, with homework in between—totaling about six hours of study per week. The program assesses participants before assigning them to one of several skill levels, ensuring instruction is tailored to each learner.
At the same time, Lippert has launched conversational Spanish classes for its English-speaking managers. The goal: improve communication and collaboration across teams.
The language programs are part of a broader company strategy to invest in employee development, from offering technical certifications through Ivy Tech to partnering with high schools to prepare future workers.
“Our guiding principle at Lippert is, you know, we believe business can be a force for good,” Jerlecki said.
While Lippert sees clear business benefits from the programs, Jerlecki said the long-term value goes beyond the factory floor.
“We see the tangible return on this investment for our team members…with their children, their grandchildren…as parts of their community,” he said.
Lippert employs around 10,000 people across North America and another 1,500 to 2,000 in Europe. The company manufactures components for RVs, boats, and manufactured housing, including furniture, chassis, appliances, and more.
With early success in Elkhart County, Lippert plans to expand its language programs to other U.S. locations in the coming year.
