WES Blog

In June 2021, Colorado’s General Assembly took a vital step forward by passing HB21-1150 with bipartisan support, creating the Colorado Office of New Americans (ONA). In creating the office, the state recognized the importance of the social and economic inclusion of its immigrant population, which comprises nearly 10 percent of the state’s population. Leveraging the […]

In 2019, a network of Texas-based adult educators led by the Texas Workforce Commission’s Adult Education and Literacy (AEL) program joined the Skilled Immigrant Integration Program (SIIP) to ensure that the state’s adult education system was providing optimized support for its 894,000 college-educated immigrants and refugees, an estimated 21% of whom are unemployed or underemployed […]

St. Louis has one of the country’s fastest-growing immigrant and refugee populations, yet the city misses out on $57 million in taxable earnings each year due to their systemic underemployment and unemployment. In 2018, the International Institute of St. Louis (IISTL) joined the Skilled Immigrant Integration Program (SIIP) to address the barriers driving this disparity.  […]

Grappling with an aging population and acute labor shortages, the Portland Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO) joined the Skilled Immigrant Integration Program (SIIP) in 2018 with the goal of bolstering the local workforce through immigrant and refugee economic inclusion.   For years, business leaders in Portland and throughout Maine had been sounding the alarm on a […]

Immigrants and refugees make up nearly 20% of Nevada’s population, and a full quarter of the state’s workforce. Yet of the state’s 87,200 immigrant and refugee workers with a four-year degree or higher, nearly 40% are unemployed or underemployed – the result of systemic barriers like limited credential recognition and uneven access to career navigation […]

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, […]

Nebraska has a long history as a leading refugee resettlement state, and the recent years have been no exception. In 2019, Lincoln’s New Americans Task Force (NATF) and Employ LNK partnered to join the Skilled Immigrant Integration Program (SIIP) with the goal of expanding and building systems to better support the inclusion of individuals with […]

Continuing a 100-year legacy of championing local immigrants and refugees, the International Institute of Buffalo (IIB) joined the Skilled Immigrant Integration Program (SIIP) in 2019 with a goal to better serve a growing yet largely underserved community: immigrants and refugees with education, training, and credentials earned in other countries.    As of the 2020 Census, Buffalo’s […]

After decades of welcoming newcomers to their programs, Idaho’s Global Talent and Utah’s One Refugee determined that a collaborative approach to immigrant and refugee workforce inclusion would bolster their efforts in the region. They joined the WES Skilled Immigrant Integration Program (SIIP) in 2018 as co-leads of a cohort including the Church of Jesus Christ […]

Written by Olivia Fox, Program Intern at the WES Mariam Assefa Fund When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, racialized essential workers at the Cargill meatpacking plant in Alberta faced a disproportionately high risk of contracting the virus. The existing exploitative and dangerous work conditions in the meatpacking sector, such as crowded industrial spaces and […]

NEW YORK—(October 23, 2024)  Today, the World Education Services (WES) Mariam Assefa Fund announced that it is awarding a total of $1 million to 10 organizations that seek to increase civic engagement and leadership among immigrant and refugee community members. The awards, of $100,000 each, are part of an initiative called Elevating Migrant Leadership: Building […]

By Sifat Yusuf, Program Manager, WES Mariam Assefa Fund The immigrant-serving sector in Canada has faced growing challenges amid the country’s ever-shifting policies concerning immigrants and refugees. These challenges range from the impact of global events causing displacement, to the uncertainty of funding and resources, to policies that negatively impact people who hold temporary or […]

In the face of a $8.4 trillion racial wealth gap in the United States, solutions aimed at fostering economic equity are not only crucial, they serve as beacons of hope for tangible change.    Apis and Heritage Capital Partners (A&H), a Black-led impact investment firm founded in 2021, is addressing the racial wealth gap by […]

Are you considering a move from the Caribbean to the United States or Canada? If so, it’s important for you to know that you can continue your education or career without repeating studies that you’ve already completed in your home country.  Considerations when relocating with your Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate   Some employers in the […]

If you’re looking for new educational or career opportunities in the United States or Canada, having your international education evaluated offers many benefits. A credential evaluation report explains the value and equivalency of your academic qualifications to immigration regulators, admissions officers, and potential employers.   This article summarizes the top five reasons why you should obtain […]

From a young age, Bikram Malla developed a deep passion for technology and its potential to transform lives. As he grew, technology remained at the center of his goals. Now Bikram is exploring new opportunities and hopes to immigrate and secure work as an IT professional in Canada. Continue reading to learn about Bikram’s academic […]

In April 2024, the United States Department of Labor released the Bridging the Gap for New Americans Final Report, which analyzes barriers to economic inclusion as well as strategies for overcoming them. In its analysis of currently available resources, the report highlights the need for additional data on internationally trained immigrant and refugee job seekers. […]

In November 2023, Immigrants, Refugees Citizenship Canada (IRCC) released its Immigration Levels Plan 2024-2026, outlining the targeted number of permanent residents admitted under all eligible programs for the next three years. According to the most recent plan, Canada will aim to welcome nearly 1.5 million new permanent residents by 2026.  This is welcome news for […]

To ensure that the credential evaluation process is as easy to understand as possible, we’ve compiled a variety of WES tools and resources designed to help you at every stage of the process. Read below to learn more.  1. Try the WES iGPA Calculator and Degree Equivalency Tool Before you begin your credential evaluation, we […]

Published in March 2024, the Department of Labor’s Bridging the Gap for New Americans report explores the barriers faced by internationally educated immigrants and refugees who seek to resume their careers in the United States. With our labor market increasingly in need of their skills and experience, the report highlights a key factor in workforce […]