As Baby-Boomers set their sights on retirement - America's aging population is leaving a gap in the nation's economy. There are not enough young Americans to fill the demand in the service industry or to take care of seniors here in America. More and more, that gap is being filled by workers from other countries, and not all of them are proficient in English.

"For instance we have a nursing shortage in the U.S. so we import them from everywhere from Africa to the Philippines. We have a doctor shortage in America so we import them," according to Demographer Jeff Hardcastle it's become common practice for American businesses to recruit outside of our borders.

Obvious problems occur when those workers are brought in from non-English speaking countries. "We have students from all over the world. We work closely with businesses, hotels and casinos who are finding the need to have classes on site or send students here," says TMCC Program Manager Anastasia Sefchick. Truckee Meadows community college offers classes to help overcome language barriers. Still they say they can't keep up with the demand.

According to Sefchick about 800 people are currently taking the classes. An additional 100 are on a waiting list to get in. She says it's a big commitment, "They come to classes 4 times per week for two to four hours per day, after working 1 or 2 shifts." The challenge Sefchick says is that it's much harder for adults to learn a second language.

It's not just non-native English speakers benefited by language classes at the community college level. Administrators say it's important for young Americans to be prepared for a changing marketplace. "We are trying to prepare all our students to be part of a global economy... we can't be isolated anymore," says Sefchick.

In addition Truckee Meadows Community College offers Citizenship Courses to help local immigrants pass government testing. They say it is not necessary to be a citizen to enroll in any classes at the school, but anyone who does not meet residency requirements will face higher tuition costs.