By CATHERINE L. HOMES

When Consuelo Espinoza Godden and her family moved to Georgia in 1964, folks didn't know what to make of them. At a time when most institutions in the state were segregated, Hispanics were difficult to label. They didn't fit into the system.

Godden didn't make it easy for them, either.

In high school, she bypassed the home economics class that girls were expected to take and enrolled in a mechanical drawing class.

Two weeks into it, when the school board learned that Consuelo was a girl's name and not a boy's, she was asked to drop the class. With her parents' help, she fought the school board and became the first girl to complete the mechanical drawing class.

"That was a real struggle," Godden says. "I was the first Hispanic and the first girl in a boys' class. But because I'd grown up around blueprints, I did well."

Very well indeed. Godden followed her father, who was a construction supervisor, into the construction business, eventually owning and running a successful construction company.

Her experience serves as a blueprint for the Hispanic experience in Georgia on two levels: the communication and cultural challenges that an immigrant population faces; and the ways they can become successful, productive members of society and the workforce.

While Godden faced numerous challenges as a Hispanic in Georgia in the 1960s and 1970s, a language barrier was not among them. Raised in Colorado, where her parents had moved from Mexico, Godden grew up bilingual, moving easily from Spanish at home to English everywhere else.

In 1972, Godden and her father started A.D. Espinoza Construction Co., which specialized in reinforced concrete structures. The firm handled a number of large projects in metro Atlanta, including MARTA headquarters, additions for AT&T, and various office and high-rise buildings. In a field that even today is dominated by men, Godden learned every aspect of construction, from bidding estimates to working in the field.

"I never asked anyone to do something I couldn't do myself," she says.

Today, Godden is an instructor at DeKalb Technical College, where she started the heavy equipment operations program and now heads up a core curriculum of construction courses taught dually in Spanish and English. Classes include reading blueprints, basic math, power tools, forklift operations, hand tools and safety.

"I know the frustration of working with a Spanish crew," she says. "They are good workers; they have a good work ethic. But if they don't speak English, there are a lot of potential problems and safety concerns. I believe our programs in Spanish will enhance safety and improve the caliber of our workforce."

Jan Nunnery, vice president for economic development at DeKalb Tech, is excited that the college is offering these bilingual courses. "These are the kinds of technical skills that will rapidly lead Hispanic workers to higher-paying jobs," she says. "Once they have mastered these skills, they are awarded DeKalb Tech certificates in addition to certificates recognized nationally by the construction industry."

Atlanta Technical College has another program that addresses the need to train Hispanics in the construction industry. The Online Certified Construction Worker Technical Certificate of Credit program takes two quarters to complete and teaches safety and health training to Spanish-speaking adults in the construction industry. Students are OSHA-certified upon completion of the program.

"Atlanta Tech has a strong history of providing technical education to a diverse group of citizens," says Dr. Brenda Watts Jones, president of Atlanta Tech. "This program will meet a great need in the Atlanta area for skilled construction workers."

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The 2000 Census made it clear that the Hispanic population in Georgia grew rapidly over the previous decade. Between 1990 and 2000, the statewide Hispanic population increased by 300 percent, and in some areas of the state, the numbers were even greater. For example, the number of Hispanics living in the metro Atlanta county of Gwinnett increased from 8,470 to 64,137 during the '90s. In Whitfield County, home of Dalton, Hispanics make up 22 percent of the population, up from 3.2 percent in 1990.

Census figures only confirm what many people see every day. Stroll down aisles of most grocery stores now, and you'll see whole sections of imported Latino foods. Authentic taquerias and Spanish bakeries are discovered in the sleepiest Georgia towns, tucked behind storefronts dappled with Spanish signs. Call BellSouth, Georgia Power or just about any large service-oriented company, and the telephone menu is offered in English or Spanish. Spanish TV channels and radio stations -- even a Spanish version of People magazine -- are easily found.

And this growing segment of society has become increasingly important to the state's economy.

"The labor we (Georgians) have received, primarily Mexicans, has fueled our economy in poultry, in carpets, in construction. Old ideas have changed. Business folks recognize the value of having a good source of labor," said Gov. Barnes last November after meeting with Mexican President Vicente Fox in Mexico City.

Besides contributing to productivity, Hispanics impact the economy with significant buying power.

"There are 3 5 million Hispanics in the United States with $630 billion worth of buying power," said Duane Ackerman, Chairman and CEO of BellSouth Corp., at the annual United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Convention held in Atlanta last September. Under no circumstances can that money be ignored."

Indeed, Georgia's share of that $630 billion is estimated to be $5 billion and increasing. While the majority of Hispanics now living in the United States reside in seven states (Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, New York and Texas), states like Georgia now have sizeable Hispanic populations of their own. Georgia's count in the 2000 Census was 435,227, and that number is continuing to grow.

Of course, this influx of Hispanic residents presents a variety of challenges to employers and employees alike. There are cultural differences to consider, but the most fundamental challenge is communication. Overcoming the language barrier is key to resolving such issues as social assimilation and worker training. Not only must Hispanic workers learn English, but also it is frequently necessary for English-speaking supervisors and managers to learn basic Spanish in order to effectively communicate with employees who have not yet mastered English.

Basic construction classes taught dually in Spanish and English are just one of many services that Georgia's technical colleges have developed to address the needs of the state's Hispanic population. From ESL and civics classes, to direct input from Hispanic communities, achieved by such organizations as the Latino Advisory Committee at Dalton State College, DTAE is working to help Hispanics assume roles as vital members of Georgia's communities.

These efforts "represent a deep commitment by many people to help ensure full access to educational and economic opportunity for a growing and important group in Georgia," says Dalton College president James A. Burran.

?HABLA ESPANOL?

Billy Griffin, president of Fresh Frozen Foods, was in his Jefferson office early one morning when the phone rang. The receptionist was not yet in the office, so Griffin answered the phone himself.

The voice on the other end of the line said some thing that was incomprehensible to Griffin. He knew the language was Spanish but didn't know who it was or what the person was saying. It could have been one of his employees or an employee's family member. It could have been a buyer or a prospective employee. But he didn't understand Spanish, so he wasn't able to tell. He could see his receptionist, who is bilingual, pulling into the parking lot. Knowing, she would be there momentarily, he tried to get the caller to stay on the line. But the caller hung up.

That phone call was one reason Griffin welcomed the opportunity to host a Spanish class for supervisors on-site at his Jefferson, Ga., facility. He needed to learn enough Spanish to communicate with those who spoke little English. And his management staff, including supervisors and salespeople, needed to learn as well. To address that need, technical colleges are offering Spanish classes for English speakers -- not only traditional conversational Spanish classes but also a variety of business Spanish classes, contracted through providers like Command Spanish and Workplace Spanish. These classes teach professionals basic words and phrases necessary to interact with Spanish-speaking people in their work lives.

For example, Griffin contracted with Lanier Technical College to host a Workplace Spanish class on-site. He was able to offer his staff of supervisors, managers and salespeople a four-week, 12-hour Spanish class tailored to the packaging industry's specific terminology.

Fresh Frozen Foods is in a situation with Hispanics that mirrors that of many other Georgia businesses. First, the frozen fruit and vegetable packaging company depends on the buying power of Hispanic communities.

"We sell to a lot of Hispanic communities," explains Griffin. "We sell to Spanish communities in Miami, as well as Puerto Rico, Cuba, Mexico and other countries."

But the company is equally dependent on the labor of Hispanics for its workforce. "The economy may be turning in the other direction now," he notes, "but for the past several years, the labor market has been tight. Finding good employees has been tough. (Hispanics) have been the solution for us." Fresh Frozen Foods employs about 25 Hispanics, roughly one-fourth of the company's workforce, Griffin estimates.

Griffin and his staff of supervisors learned how to say basic words and phrases that they commonly use when working with Hispanic employees or buyers who speak little English. They started with basic greetings such as "Hello" and "Can I help you," and went on to cover phrases for etiquette, hiring and pay, safety, and job rules and expectations.

By the final class, Fresh Frozen Foods employees had learned phrases particular to the food-packaging industry, such as "Food safety is very important" and "Wash your hands well."

Sylvia Murillo-Renard (standing) teaches an on-site English as a Second Language class to employees of Thomas Concrete at the company's plant in Suwanee, thanks to the workplace literacy program in adult education offered by Gwinnett Technical College. Students include (L-R) Rueben Cuevas, Carlos Hernandez, Gildardov Vargas, Feliciano "Chano" Americua, Juan Chavez, Lorenzo Diaz, Ricardo Alverez. Thomas Concrete also offers Command Spanish classes, customized for the concrete and construction industry, through DeKalb Tech.

?HABLA INGLES?

The Suwanee Plant of Thomas Concrete is one of the busiest concrete plants in the Southeast. Trucks rumble in and out all day long as the plant's employees work steadily to satisfy the demands of the region's construction industry.

But beginning last fall, on any Monday or Wednesday night employees from several of the company's 22 area plants gather around tables together in the center of a corrugated metal warehouse, temporarily transformed into a classroom. They are here to English.

It's happening thanks to the workplace literacy program in adult education at Gwinnett Technical College. Many students who would have a hard time arranging their schedules to accommodate a trip to a technical college campus are able to attend classes at their workplace.

Feliciano Americua, known to his friends as Chano, has worked at the Cumming Plant of Thomas Concrete for almost seven years and has the most English fluency of anyone in the class. He is from Mexico, from a small town near Guadalajara, where he returns every six months in order to renew his work visa.

Americua says he is happy to be taking the ESL class offered by his employer. "I started with English in the first grade, in Mexico. This is the first class I have taken in the U.S. I have been here a long time and I would like to speak better (English)."

Besides offering ESL classes, some colleges go a step further to prepare Hispanics for life in the United States, teaching civics classes that allow immigrants to learn information necessary to prepare for the U.S. citizenship exam. In fact, 19 of Georgia's technical colleges were awarded federal grants last year by the Office of Adult Literacy to provide integrated programs that incorporate English literacy classes and civics education. These programs help immigrants with limited English ability acquire the basic skills they need to navigate governmental, educational, workplace, banking, healthcare and other American institutions. The programs also provide instruction on the rights and responsibilities of U.S. citizenship, naturalization procedures, civic participation, and U.S. history and government.

MANOLA ROBISON, INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS CONSULTANT:

When Manola Robison moved from her native Venezuela to the United States in 1983, she confronted a troublesome culture shock. "I had been a successful business consultant in Venezuela, but I had a heck of a time even finding a job here," she recalls. "It was bad to be female and Hispanic."

Today, Robison's outlook is decidedly different. "The business climate has changed dramatically," she notes. "Globalization of the marketplace has transformed everything. Today it is valuable to be a woman and Hispanic. I haven't changed, but the world has changed."

The owner of Robison Management Consulting, an international business management-consulting firm, Robison is also active in the growing Hispanic professional community around the state. "Hispanics are now a real force in the American economy," she says. "We have a lot of buying and intellectual power."

A member of the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Robison serves on the group's economic development committee. "Many Hispanics are now small-business owners, so we as a chamber began asking how we could help these Hispanic professionals. Now that many in the Hispanic community are legal, well-established and educated, how can we help them thrive?" When the chamber began working on plans to create a Hispanic business incubator, Robison called Jan Nunnery, vice president for economic development at DeKalb Technical College.

Nunnery explained that many of the services DeKalb Tech already had in place were just the kinds of programs Robison and the chamber had been looking for.

For example, the college offers an Intensive English Program targeted to non-native speakers who want to enhance their English. The course addresses language arts subject matter such as reading, comprehension and conversation, as well as computer skills. It is designed to serve international students who seek to continue their education or advance in the workforce, as well as professionals who want to improve their command of English.

Another example is the more basic ESL classes, which were taken by more than 4,000 people last year at DeKalb Tech alone.

DeKalb Technical College has also offered customized Command Spanish programs for over a year to an array of businesses, including Thomas Concrete, Goodyear Tire, Pactiv Corp., Pyramid Masonry Contractors, Inc., Comprehensive Dentistry, Trojan Battery, The Kroger Co. and Sweetheart Cup Co.

"We have entrepreneurial programs, language programs, bilingual student advisers, citizenship classes, visa assistance -- just a tremendous variety of services for the Hispanic and international community," Nunnery explains. "I am very excited to be partnering with the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce because it allows us to inform our Hispanic residents of the opportunities we provide."

In March, DeKalb Tech, the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and TEC, an international organization of CEOs, jointly sponsored a presentation in Spanish and English for CEOs, presidents and business owners. Among other topics, the speaker addressed "cultural alignment," a method for assessing the ability of a business to meet the needs of various cultures.

DeKalb Tech's partnership with the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce provides another template for ways that Georgia's technical colleges are responding to the state's growing Hispanic population.

"It is DeKalb Tech's desire to stay abreast of industry and cultural trends to meet the needs of companies and individuals in the 21st century," says Nunnery.