Workers' Education Program

The Workers’ Education Program (WEP) provides adult education classes including English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), Adult Basic Education (ABE), and ESOL for Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) classes. We are funded by the Adult and Community Learning Services division of the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Register online for available adult education classes

Mission

To provide each and every adult with opportunities to develop literacy skills needed to qualify for further education, job training, and better employment, and to reach his/her full potential as a family member, productive worker, and citizen.

History

The WEP was created and is supported by the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Labor Education Center. The program began in 1986, bringing English classes to immigrant, union, needle trades workers in their factories and has grown steadily since. Our classes have included Citizenship, English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), General Educational Development (GED), and High School Equivalency Test (HiSET). Over the years, the WEP has offered classes in factories, union halls, and community centers in the New Bedford and Fall River areas.