MHI Solutions Improving Supply Chain Performance
Providing a choice of language expands frontline workers’ access to the industry’s most comprehensive collection of equipment, safety and processes information.
THE WERC DISTRIBUTION Logistics Education Program has reached a new milestone: the first of its six courses—Distribution Logistics Fundamentals—is now available in Spanish. This marks an important step toward expanding access to critical industry education for the growing number of frontline employees who speak Spanish as their primary language.
The need—and demand—for this resource has been tremendous, noted John Paxton, MHI CEO.
“As we know from member feedback, a large percentage of warehouse and distribution employees in the U.S. are bilingual or native Spanish speakers,” he said. “Until now, many of these associates have had to learn industry terminology, safety protocols and operational best practices in a second language. By making the program available in Spanish, the MHI/WERC Knowledge Center team has opened the door for these individuals to learn in the language in which they are most comfortable.”
That, in turn, helps companies using the program as part of their employee training initiatives uncover hidden talent and support career advancement.
WHY SPANISH?
Spanish is the second‑most‑spoken language in the U.S. and is widely used across global supply chains. For these reasons, it was the natural choice for the Distribution Logistics Education Program’s first translation.
While additional languages may be considered in the future, the MHI/WERC Knowledge Center team’s initial focus is on Spanish‑speaking learners. Translating the courses gives this demographic full access to the same high‑quality content and interactive learning methods as their English‑speaking peers.
Translating a technical education program is not as simple as converting words from one language to another. Spanish, for example, has 27 recognized dialects. That can make it challenging to deliver clarity, inclusivity and consistency across regions.
To convert the existing English content across all six modules of the program, the MHI/WERC Knowledge Center is partnering with Interpro Translation Solutions. The firm utilizes native Spanish speakers who possess extensive technical translation expertise. This ensures that the content is identical and precise in both languages.
Additionally, we’ve been carefully reviewing every slide, caption, narration and knowledge check. By working with both professional translators and industry practitioners, we can ensure learners receive accurate, culturally appropriate instruction.
Indeed, the Spanish version very deliberately mirrors the English one. Learners log into the same platform and select their preferred language at the start of the course. From there, all content—including narration, captions and activities—appears in Spanish.
TRANSLATION: A MEMBER‑DRIVEN INITIATIVE
This project was driven by strong demand from both WERC and MHI members. Several member companies, along with the WERC Advisory Council, asked the Knowledge Center team to explore a Spanish‑language option. In addition to supporting the idea, those industry leaders are actively helping us make it possible.
Among those contributing to the translation and its review process is subject matter expert Maria Llamas, director of strategy and performance at Ankura. Llamas, who serves as a director at large on the WERC Advisory Council, is a native of Mexico and fully bilingual.
Llamas not only contributed to the content of the six courses during their initial development in English, but also reviewed the Spanish translation of the first course. Her involvement has continued as the subsequent courses are translated. Thanks to her input, we can ensure the content’s accuracy and industry relevance in both languages.
“Given the large percentage of Spanish‑speaking associates in the U.S. logistics workforce, providing access to industry education in both Spanish and English is essential,” explained Llamas. “This brings many benefits, including supporting the professional development of associates while helping businesses expand their pool of frontline workers and leaders. I thank MHI/WERC for inviting me to contribute, as well as for their commitment to developing this program and to reaching a broader, more diverse audience.”
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