“Building a More Welcoming US” panelists, joined by State Representative Sara Innamorato (right), and Betty Cruz, All for All project director (left). Photos by Dan Lampmann. The WES Global Talent Bridge Skilled Immigrant Integration Program (SIIP), now wrapping up its second year and planning for its third, involves training and support for communities working […]
Metalsmith Oleksii Porokh and his wife Anna Nefodova Riverside Language Program, the only free, full-time English language intensive course in New York City, is currently celebrating its 40th year of operation under the new leadership of Berta Colón. Riverside’s free six-week English courses are offered in a variety of levels, held six hours a […]
In 2016, WES tackled a compounding issue: Syrian refugees were arriving in Canada by the thousands with high levels of education but struggling to return to work and school because they had little to no proof of their prior academic achievements. To address this challenge, WES launched the refugee pilot project to test the value […]
Louisville Forward is Louisville, Kentucky’s innovative economic development organization. The Louisville team met Canada’s Windmill Microlending at the 2018 Skilled Immigrant Integration Program (SIIP) in Toronto. Windmill, a charitable microloan program for immigrants and refugees, was featured as a model for US organizations seeking new ways to integrate skilled immigrants. Windmill loans are offered to […]
In June WES Global Talent Bridge, its national partners, and the community cohorts in the Skilled Immigrant Integration Program (SIIP) participated in a working cross-border conference in Toronto. The delegates exchanged experiences and learned from each other and Canadian models, including mentorship programs, employer engagement, round table collaboration, and microlending. Canadian participating partners included: Cities […]
The 2019 Skilled Immigrant Integration Project convening in Toronto. Photos by Anthony Castro At a three-day conference in Toronto earlier this month, WES Global Talent Bridge and its national partners hosted representatives from all of the eight 2019 community cohorts in the Skilled Immigrant Integration Program, as well as representatives from some of the […]
Less than six months after she graduated from New Women New Yorkers’ LEAD training series, Jiar Fong received a job offer. New Women New Yorkers has been serving immigrant women in New York City since 2015. LEAD, our flagship, free workforce development program, begins with a series of eight job readiness workshops, providing our […]
Reginald “Reggie” McDade is the recruiting and community relations manager at TPI Composites in Newton, Iowa. TPI, which manufactures wind blades for the high-growth wind energy market, is the largest employer in Jasper County, Iowa. The company also has facilities in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, as well as in Mexico, Europe, and Asia. In a […]
Newcomer Day 2019. Photo by Ramón Vasconcelos / New Horizons Media Inc. Every year the number of newcomers entering Canada rises. Toronto welcomes the majority of them. According to Statistic Canada, “In 2016, Canada had 1,212,075 new immigrants who had permanently settled in Canada from 2011 to 2016.” Of that number, the city of […]
Members of the Texas cohort of the 2019 Skilled Immigrant Integration Program met recently with representatives from WES Global Talent Bridge to discuss plans for the year. Nearly five million immigrants live in Texas. That’s about 17 percent of the state’s population. Twelve percent of these newcomers are internationally trained professionals. Texas provides additional […]
Global Talent, an organization based in Boise, Idaho that helps college-educated immigrants and refugees connect with professional roles in the U.S., was recently awarded a three-year Refugee Career Pathways grant through the Office of Refugee Resettlement. Building on a regional partnership cultivated through the WES Global Talent Bridge National Skilled Immigrant Integration Program, this grant […]
Fanshawe College in London, Ontario is one of Ontario’s largest colleges. The college provides “flexible learning arrangements and experiential education opportunities” to ensure students are prepared for an ever-shifting labour market. In 2015, as Syrian refugees began arriving in Canada, Fanshawe saw a similar influx in their admission offices: “each of our admissions advisors was […]
