Welcoming Communities in Action
Discover how cities, states, provinces, and campuses are working to ensure that newcomers can fully contribute to resilient futures.
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Breaking Barriers for Internationally Trained Immigrants and Refugees in Regulated Professions
Hillary Gardner |
“Building Momentum for a New Decade,” the 2020 Immigrant Economic Integration Virtual Summit hosted by WES Global Talent Bridge, featured state and local practitioners, immigrant and refugee leaders, and policymakers committed to advancing the academic and economic mobility of immigrants and refugees in the United States. In light of critical shortages in regulated professions exacerbated […]
Growing Our IMPRINT Coalition, Deepening Our Impact
José Ramón Fernández-Peña, MD, MPA |
As the IMPRINT coalition expands to welcome new member organizations, WES Global Talent Bridge is featuring a series of blog posts that highlight the critical work and unique perspectives of this dynamic network. José Ramón Fernández-Peña, MD, MPA, is director of Health Professions Advising at Northwestern University and president of the American Public Health Association. […]
Immigrant Youth Workforce Development Challenges and Opportunities: Key Insights from an #ImmigrantsThrive Twitter Chat
Shaunna-Marie Kerr |
Immigrant youth have been among the demographics hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic across employment, education, and health (including mental health). The challenges highlighted by the pandemic were not new, but continued long-standing patterns, especially relating to unemployment and underemployment of immigrant youth in Canada. With this in mind, on March 30, WES convened more than 60 contributors to discuss immigrant youth workforce development in an #ImmigrantsThrive Twitter chat. Influential participants from government, service provision, and post-secondary institutions reviewed the challenges and also opportunities for increased labour market inclusion of […]
COVID-19 Response: An Update on Addressing the Underutilized Skills of Canada’s Internationally Educated Health Professionals
While the pandemic is highlighting challenges in Canada’s health and long-term care (LTC) systems, it is also shining a light on the thousands of internationally educated health professionals (IEHPs) who are licensed to practice in other countries but are unable to fully contribute their skills, education, and experience in Canada. Since last spring, WES has been working with many partners to raise awareness of the deep disconnect between the underutilization of IEHP talent and the needs of Canada’s health and LTC systems. WES has been convening with IEHPs and system stakeholders to develop and advocate for structural and policy changes that can create more access for immigrants and […]
Policy Roundup: Tracking Efforts to Support the Economic Mobility of Immigrants and Refugees in the U.S.
Fatima Sanz & Jacki Esposito |
Immigrants and refugees with international credentials are integral to the economic vitality of the United States, yet many are unable to contribute their skills, talents, and experience to the U.S. workforce because of systemic obstacles to employment. The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the essential role of immigrant and refugee workers and emphasized the urgent need for […]
Investing in Immigrant and Refugee Talent Through Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives
Hillary Gardner |
WES Global Talent Bridge’s 2020 Immigrant Economic Integration Virtual Summit (#IEISummit2020), Building Momentum for a New Decade, featured state and local practitioners, immigrant leaders, and policymakers committed to advancing the academic and economic mobility of immigrants and refugees. The four-day summit took place in conjunction with the third annual convening of the WES Global Talent […]
New to the Future of Work Annotated Bibliography: Migration Trends
Chiedza Pasipanodya |
World Education Services (WES) is excited to partner with the Labour Market Information Council (LMIC) to add migration as a new theme to the Future of Work Annotated Bibliography, LMIC’s data source on labour market megatrends. This source makes labour market information accessible and aids strategic decision-making, enabling employers and policy makers to address current […]
Spotlight on Atlanta: How a Thriving Partnership is Transforming Communities
Debra Means-West |
Valerie Mills, senior program manager at Atlanta’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, is passionate about creating an inclusive metro region in which all people, including immigrants and refugees, can reach their full potential. Mills—a licensed mediator and qualified interpreter, who served as an international attorney in her country of origin, Ghana—has firsthand experience of the challenges […]
SIIP Convening 2020: Finding Strength in Collaboration
Hillary Gardner |
As 2020 drew to a close, a diverse group of service providers and partner agencies gathered virtually at the third annual Skilled Immigrant Integration Program (SIIP) convening to reflect on a historic year and pave pathways forward on behalf of internationally trained immigrant and refugee professionals. The convening was held in conjunction with the first […]
One Year Later: From Hiring Event to the Front Lines
Devon Franklin |
In the fall of 2019, Canadian employers grappled with one of the tightest job markets in recent history. As a result, employers in Toronto were eager to expand their recruitment efforts and fill widening labour gaps. Leveraging a model championed by Starbucks Canada in cooperation with ACCES Employment, a collaborative hiring event was co-organized by World Education Services (WES) and ACCES Employment, and sponsored by Starbucks Canada and the Tent Partnership for […]
Spotlight on African Bridge Network: Helping Immigrant and Refugee Communities Realize Their Professional Potential
Lisa Levi |
Massachusetts is home to some 82,000 African immigrants, many of whom are fluent in English. Overall, immigrants from Africa are one of the most highly educated immigrant groups in the United States. According to New American Economy, 40 percent of African immigrants have a college degree, attaining a higher level of education than that of […]
Spotlight on Washington State: Collaboration for Change
Mia Nacamulli |
The Puget Sound region, located along the northwestern coast of the state of Washington, spans miles of coastline, agricultural lands, and bustling cities, offering a vast array of landscapes and attractions. Its population, too, is diverse—one in seven Washington residents is an immigrant,¹ and the region’s cities boast a broad spectrum of languages and cultures. […]