The Ministry of Superior Education, Sciences and Technology has begun to recruit English as a Second Language teachers for the RD$38.9 million program to improve the working knowledge of English among Dominican workers and professionals. The English Immersion for Competitiveness Program starts with a pilot whereby 4,000 students will receive instruction over a six-month period. The goal is to reduce the gap of those who do not know English so that workers may advance in their jobs and have increased access to information technology available on the Internet. The program lasts through 2008. The government expects to have trained 100,000 persons in ESOL by then.