Economic Integration for Skilled Immigrants in the US

Transcription

1 Economic Integration for Skilled Immigrants in the US 2008, All Rights Reserved, Upwardly Global October 22, 2008 Jane Leu, Executive Director/Founder

2 The Facts: Skilled, Educated and Poor 3.00 Figure 4. Occupational Transitions by Admission Category: Foreign-Educated LPRs, with BA or Higher, 25 and Older Mean score of occupational status is based on the following coding: 1=Unskilled job; 2=Skilled technical job; 3=Highly skilled job 2.50 Employment: status adjusters Index 2.00 Employment: new arrivals Family: status adjusters Family: new arrivals 1.50 Refugee: status adjusters Diversity: all Legalized/Others: all 1.00 Job Abroad First US Job Current US Job 2

3 Prep Supply, Create Demand, Bridge the Gap 1. Immigrants know how to do the job, but not how to find it. Job Search Tools: Resumes, cover letter, marketing pitch 8-week workshop series: Interviewing, Networking, American Workplace Culture Individual coaching by UpGlo staff All services/training in Business English 2. Immigrants lack professional networks and mentors Matched one-on-one with Industry Mentor and Informational Interviews Growing Alumni Network 700+ volunteers, most through corporate partnerships 3 3. Employers need education and experience in sourcing, evaluating, and interviewing immigrant candidates. Awareness education for Employers, focused on the business case for global diversity. Training on cross-cultural hiring Employees practice through direct referrals of jobseekers and volunteer engagement

4 Sample Placements = $21/hr, FT + benefits LEGAL - Paralegal (Colombia) Akst & Akst Law - Senior Contract Officer (Kenya) JPMorgan Chase - Legal Assistant (Nepal) The Myers Law Firm NONPROFIT/SOCIAL WORK - Program Associate (Bhutan) Int l Center for Tolerance Education - Research Associate (Uzbekistan) Committee to Protect Journalists - Staff Therapist (Poland) Psychotherapy Institute EDUCATION - Science Teacher (Somalia) San Diego Unified School District BUSINESS - Marketing Manager (Thailand) CSAA - Relationship Manager (India) Citigroup - AdSense Coordinator (Peru) Google - Benefits Accountant (Mongolia) McKesson Corp - Associate (Philippines) KPMG - Consulting Analyst (Iran) Accenture TECH - End User Support Analyst (Romania) Memorial Sloan-Kettering - Tech Project Manager (India) JPMorgan Chase SCIENCE - Organic Chemist (Eritrea) PowerVision - Analytical Chemist (India) Biokey - Post-Doc Research Associate (Mexico) Lawrence Livermore Labs ENGINEERING - Well Planning Engineer (Nigeria) Halliburton HEALTH CARE - Anesthesiology Tech (Haiti), Brooklyn Hospital - Medical Resident (Vietnam) Coney Island Hospital - Nurse (Philippines) SF General Hospital 4

5 Snapshot of Results: jobseekers from 94 developing countries $25,000 increase in salary per jobseeker ($45,000 average) 70+ Employer Partners: JPMorgan Chase, Deloitte, Robert Half Int l, Google, SMEs, Nonprofits Built organization and model, 3 offices, 25 staff, 700 volunteers, 1000 employer reps Total cost: $3.5M 5

6 Systemic Change: How do we get there? Procedural: An Integration System alongside Immigration System: Orientation Abroad - Welcoming Centers with Career Services Membership in Professional Associations/Mentors New American divisions of Employment Agencies Regulatory/Compliance: Track, report, and audit EEOC national origin percentages. Programmatic: Mid career New American in-ramps and training classes at employers, similar to college recruiting channels and new grad training programs Low-interest rate Relicensing Loans, similar to gov t supported student loans; Bridge programs onsite at employers for re-licensing. Leverage technology to: make integration and licensing process transparent ( wikis ), to connect New Americans to professional peers (a Match.com for industry connections?), and to develop new tools to facilitate English fluency (mobile ESL training) 6

7 Contact Information Jane Leu, Exec. Director/Founder 582 Market Street, Suite 1207 San Francisco, CA (cell) Nikki Cicerani, Managing Director, NY 401 Broadway, Suite 800 New York, NY