Louisville, KY: A Regional Collaboration Positioned for Impact through SIIP
When a cohort of Louisville-based organizations joined the Skilled Immigrant Integration Program (SIIP) in 2017, the region had 30,000 open jobs – 9,000 requiring post-secondary training – and not enough workers to fill them. Local leaders from the Louisville Metro Government Office for Globalization (now called the Louisville Metro Government’s Office for Immigrant Affairs), KentuckianaWorks, and Jewish Career and Family Services (JCFS) sought to connect internationally trained workers with jobs in high-demand industries, and were able to enact significant change with SIIP’s support.
Across the country, more than two million college-educated immigrants and refugees are unemployed or underemployed, the result of systemic factors like uneven access to career navigation services and barriers to re-credentialing. Louisville reflected this same reality: while the metro area is home to more than 75,000 immigrants and refugees, comprising 6% of the population, there were few employment training programs focused on immigrant workforce inclusion in 2017. Louisville had just one person working full-time to serve internationally trained immigrants and refugees; with an average of 180 clients annually, one staffer’s capacity was insufficient to meet the needs of both the immigrant community and the local economy. An additional lack of coordination among existing services contributed to inefficiencies and further highlighted the need to fill programming gaps.
The Louisville Metro Government Office of Globalization recognized this as an opportunity to champion immigrant and refugee workforce inclusion, creating an Immigrant Re-credentialing and Workforce Task Force in partnership with JCFS and KentuckianaWorks, the regional workforce board. In June 2016, Task Force members participated in the National Skills and Credential Institute hosted by the White House Task Force on New Americans, paving the way for further collaboration through SIIP.
Local Collaboration, Statewide Awareness
The Louisville cohort’s partnership was strengthened through joint attendance at the 2018 SIIP convening in Toronto, and shared participation in ongoing SIIP cohort calls and training sessions. The partners successfully developed a revolving loan fund in partnership with LHome, a community development financial institution, to cover the costs associated with re-credentialing for internationally trained immigrants and refugees. These costs can include classes and test fees, as well as wraparound supports such as rent assistance or childcare to make the re-credentialing process accessible. In the first year, more than 20 applicants were granted loans of up to $3,000. 90% of those loans have since been repaid, and the fund has almost doubled from $70,000 to over $120,000.
Following the SIIP cohort year, KentuckianaWorks successfully obtained funding from JP Morgan Chase to create a full-time position focused on immigrant workforce inclusion. Through that dedicated position, KentuckianaWorks has been developing training and impact assessment for existing workforce centers to optimize services for immigrants and refugees, particularly those with credentials from abroad.
Lastly, the Louisville partners have been collaborating with the local chamber of commerce to recruit prominent employers in health care, manufacturing, and hospitality. These employers are committed to opening pathways for internationally trained immigrants and refugees to re-join their careers in those sectors. A Louisville leader said, “One of the biggest things [we got out of SIIP] is that now we have a much stronger connection between the different players working with immigrant professionals.”
Looking Ahead in Louisville
A representative from the Office for Immigrant Affairs, formerly called the Office of Globalization, reports that the SIIP partners have continued working together to “keep the pots simmering at the back of the stove,” even as the COVID-19 pandemic and municipal budget challenges temporarily slowed their momentum. Going forward, the Louisville Metro Government Office for Immigrant Affairs plans to keep expanding and strengthening partnerships with stakeholders across the city, drawing inspiration from other sites and national partners in the SIIP network.
SIIP has positioned leaders in Louisville to champion immigrant inclusion and workforce development across Kentucky. Learn how your community can participate in a future SIIP cohort.
