The demand for multilingual professionals is growing fast. In industries such as healthcare, hospitality, construction, and emergency services, the ability to communicate across cultures isn’t just an asset; it’s a workforce necessity. As communities become more diverse and industries more globally connected, employers are increasingly seeking workers who can speak the language of their customers and colleagues.
At Upper Bucks County Technical School (UBCTS), we believe in preparing students for the real world, where showing up on time, mastering your craft, and communicating are essential to long-term success. That’s why, through a partnership with Language Testing International® (LTI), the exclusive licensee of ACTFL® assessments, and NOCTI (the National Occupational Competency Testing Institute), we’re helping students graduate not just career-ready, but bilingual, credentialed, and confident.
A Partnership Rooted in Results: UBCTS, LTI, and NOCTI
At UBCTS, our students earn industry-recognized credentials that open doors, whether they’re heading to the workforce, the military, or further education. Through NOCTI, students validate their technical training in healthcare, automotive technology, construction, and culinary arts.
Thanks to our collaboration with LTI, students who speak a second language can now also take ACTFL language proficiency assessments, earning formal credentials that employers across the country recognize and trust. With their NOCTI and ACTFL scores, they exit UBCTS programs with dual credentials.
This dual-credential approach reinforces a powerful truth: Language is not a barrier; it’s a bridge. In the hands of a hardworking, skilled student, it becomes a powerful tool for advancement.
Why UBCTS Adopted Language Credentialing
Many of our students come to us with real-world experience and skills that don’t always appear on a transcript, especially regarding language. We view the ability to communicate in more than one language as a strength. For those whose first language is not English, whether they’re in English Learner programs or not, we want to provide a formal, objective way to prove that ability to future employers.
ACTFL’s standards-based assessments (e.g., AAPPL, OPI, and WPT) provide exactly that: language certification that stands on its own merit, with no shortcuts or guesswork.
Pairing an ACTCL credential with NOCTI’s proven skills assessments gives our students a clear edge in a competitive job market.
“We wanted something objective, standardized, and recognized outside of the classroom—something that speaks directly to employers.”
— Dr. Michael Herrera
Real Impact, Real Opportunity
The impact of UBCTS’s approach is already visible through its students.
A bilingual student with a passion for helping others discovered UBCTS while exploring career options in high school and immediately saw an opportunity to turn his interests into a future.
A native Spanish speaker, he became fluent in English and excelled academically. Through the guidance of a supportive teacher, he discovered UBCTS and enrolled in a healthcare-focused career and technical education program.
At UBCTS, he earned a nationally recognized healthcare certification and distinguished himself through his strong work ethic, advanced clinical skills, and academic achievement. He is now preparing to certify his bilingual abilities through an industry-recognized language proficiency credential.
As part of his career preparation, the student participates in a cooperative education experience, gaining real-world skills while building a résumé that reflects his technical expertise as well as his ability and passion to serve diverse communities. With plans to pursue additional postsecondary training in the medical field, he is focused on a future of continued growth, service, and professional success with bilingualism as an essential skill.
This is what workforce preparation looks like—discipline, skills, and ambition grounded in opportunity.
Why This Model Matters
We believe CTE is about more than job training. It’s building future citizens. Our partnership with LTI and NOCTI allows us to help students:
- Credential what they know and what they can do—in the shop and the lab, and using real-world communication.
- Earn respect from employers and confidence in themselves.
- Stand out in industries where multilingual communication is becoming essential, from healthcare to public safety, customer service to logistics.
The data backs it up: Bilingual professionals earn 5–20% more per hour on average, and 90% of employers report relying on workers who speak more than one language.
Looking Ahead
At UBCTS, we’re committed to helping students rise by recognizing their full potential as learners and future leaders.
We invite other CTE schools to consider what’s possible when technical training and language proficiency are treated as complementary credentials, not competing priorities. With the right tools and partners, we can prepare the next generation to succeed, not just in the classroom, but in life.
For more information on ACTFL language assessments, visit www.actfl.org/assessments or contact LTI, ACTFL’s exclusive licensee at https://www.languagetesting.com/contact-us/sales.
References:
ACTFL. (2019). Making languages our business: Addressing foreign language demand among US employers.
Brower, T. (2023) Improve Your Salary and Career by Speaking a Second Language https://www.forbes.com/sites/tracybrower/2023/10/01/improve-your-salary-and-career-by-speaking-a-second-language/
Jaros-White, G. (2024). The power of multilingualism: Elevating employability in career and technical education. https://www.languagetesting.com/blog/the-power-of-multilingualism-elevating-employability-in-career-and-technical-education/
Jaros-White, G. (2022). Why it pays to be bilingual. https://www.languagetesting.com/blog/why-it-pays-to-be-bilingual/
Quinlan, J. (2024). Leveraging language as an employability asset in career and technical education. https://www.languagetesting.com/blog/leveraging-language-as-an-employability-asset-in-career-and-technical-education/
