As the economy tightens, the Wall Street Journal has republished an article from 2004 about efforts to increase diversity in the American workforce — and the increasing demands that investments in job skills training pay off. One important skill mentioned near the end of the article is (you guessed it!) accent reduction; it’s a good example of how investment in this skill really does pay off, both for the individuals receiving training, and for the companies that sponsor such training...

[National Association of Asian American Professionals (NAAAP) President Vincent] Yee points to Bank of America as an employer that has gone the extra mile to build and retain a diverse staff. For example, some members of its large Asian-American work force wouldn’t voice their opinions and concerns because of their accent. After managers learned about this problem, the bank began offering an accent-reduction course to help employees feel more confident about speaking up. The move impressed Asian-Americans within the bank and externally, he says.

While corporate training budgets have been tightening these days, accent training can provide positive returns to the bottom lines of many businesses. If you’re concerned that your accent may be hindering your opportunities for achievement and advancement on-the-job, you might consider checking with your manager, HR, or corporate training department about full or partial reimbursement for accent training program costs.

Do you have a story about how accent training has improved your career prospects? Please post a comment and share your experiences!