GREAT Picture Guides Now Available





If you are looking for picture guides for common items used in food-related industries, look no further!  Caritas of Austin is sharing their picture guides with us and they are now posted on the RefugeeWorks website. 

They are translated into Arabic, Burmese, Nepali, and Spanish.  And they are simple, clear, and reproducible for free.  Enjoy! 

Leave a comment to let us know how you are using the translated guides.

Starting From Scratch: Refugees Rebuilding Lives in Baltimore

This was the title of a news story on NPR that I was interviewed for. As the economy struggles to regain strength so do refugees and millions of other Americans when looking for a job. What I am continually confounded by is there are jobs out there. I feel as though I keep trying to solve an equation that always equals zero. What I mean by this, is that there are jobs out there that need to be filled and most native born Americans do not want. Yet, a lot of companies are hesitant to hire refugees for the positions. So, at the end of the day they remain vacant.

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of taking a newly granted asylee to a job interview at a prestigious hotel in Baltimore. This amazing lady speaks four languages, has experience in the hospitality industry, and is willing to take any job in this hotel. If I was the hiring manager, I would be racing to hire this woman. She would be a great employee and would excel in her work. Is that not what all employers are looking for in a potential employee? Is that not what we all strive to do in our careers?

As the Democrats and the Republicans on Capital Hill continue to bicker, we all need to remember the open-mindedness of our grandparents when it came to work ethic and being grateful to have a job. And being grateful to have amazing people willing to take the jobs we have to offer. Thank goodness the new comers we serve still remember!

Listen to the interview here.

The information shared in this post is meant to serve as inspiration to other service providers in their fund raising efforts. This event is not only to raise monetary funds for Exodus, but more importantly, to continue spreading the word and educating the public about who refugees are and the issues that they face when coming to this country.

Exodus Refugee Presents: "Welcome to Shelbyville" Film Screening Fundraiser!

Exodus Refugee is pleased to present a film screening of "Welcome to Shelbyville", a documentary capturing the joys and challenges of refugee resettlement in rural America. Join us for this exciting night of film and discussion!

Date: Thursday, July 28th, 7PM, at the Indianapolis Museum of Art

Also featured before the film will be a collection of artwork created by refugees from our local community.

All proceeds will benefit the work of Exodus Refugee in welcoming and resettling refugees from Burma, Iraq, Iran, Eritrea, Somalia, and other nations. Refugees come to our country with only what they can carry. Exodus arranges housing, furnishings, food and clothing as well as other basic items to ensure that individuals and families have what they require to begin their new lives. Exodus relies on donations from individuals, groups, churches and foundations to provide the items necessary to meet the basic needs of refugee newcomers.

Join us for this exciting event to encounter the realities of refugee resettlement, and raise funds for the work of Exodus Refugee!

Please leave a comment if you have either seen this film or have questions about it. I will post a follow-up piece about how the event went, challenges, and successes! Please also visit our event on Facebook and at www.exodusrefugee.org

Short -Term Training Options

There can be a feeling of urgency to provide refugees with marketable skills in a short amount of time. Refugees have a seemingly small "window of time" in which to reach self-sufficiency. Public benefits are only available for a period of months, and while the resettlement agencies certainly do what they can, the financial assistance they can provide is not indefinite. Refugees unfortunately may find themselves hovering right above or below the poverty line, and without any useful job skills, how are they to support themselves and survive?

This is where short-term training options come into play. Whether it is a refresher course building on skills already acquired or teaching a new skill or trade, preparing refugees to enter the U.S. workforce must mean that service providers are offering real solutions. These trainings certainly do not even need to be extensive in order to be effective. Simple workplace skills such as answering phones and operating a cash register can prove to be more valuable than you may think. Utilizing community resources to provide these necessary skills to clients is critical. A popular training option being accessed by refugees in Indianapolis is CNA certification. With the health-care industry being a constant yet expanding source of employment, clients have more flexibility and options for job placements and career building.

Service providers: what short-term training options are offered to clients through your agencies? How do you go about deciding on topics as well as content? How and where do you refer clients for additional skills training in your communities?

Self-Sufficiency as the Key to Integration

Last Monday I had the opportunity to join a panel of experts from the United States and Europe at the Carnegie Endowment for Peace in Washington DC. Discussions were on a wide range of topics relating to issues around integration of refugees being resettled on both continents. Throughout the conversation, it became abundantly clear that employment is a key factor in integration. As a matter of fact, one senior U.S. official stated, " The United States does not focus on integration, we focus on self-sufficiency." In short, gaining employment leads to assimilation into one's community.

Refugee job developers should see their work as a very important tool in the resettlement process. In the United States, your work is your clients' first step out in their new world and their new beginning. Once employed, learning takes place. These new Americans begin to learn about life in the U.S. and the people who live in their communities. For their native-born co-workers, this is a chance for them to learn about the world and cultures well beyond our shores. Because of the U.S. resettlement program, world peace starts at home for many Americans who may otherwise not have the opportunity to meet people from other countries. When you think about it...your jobs transform communities and change the world for the better!

What are your thoughts about employment leading to integration? Was the U.S. official correct? How can we approve upon this concept?

-Jonathan

Learning from Non-Refugee Employment Programs

My job development efforts target all of Caritas clients, only approximately 1/3 of which are refugees. We help all kinds of people experiencing poverty. The populations face different barriers and sometimes there is overlap. Refugee Works is great, but I often wish for local job development resources with a different perspective. So, I’ve been trying to tap broader Caritas networks for a more localized, in-person support group.

The Texas Workforce Commission includes lots of great resources and I've found several like-minded colleagues in that system. They're different in every State, so you'll have to explore in your area. The social service network for ex-offenders has also been an innovative and active source of information. I recently attended an Offender Employment Specialist certification course that gave me lots of new contacts, resources and ideas. Goodwill Industries (read more below) is also a national leader in putting people to work.

Recently, I’ve encountered two especially useful resources for training and employmetn opportunities from our non-refugee networks that have benefitted my work with refugees, as well, so I wanted to share.

Goodwill Industries: Many of you are probably familiar with Goodwill. They offer so many great services, although they differ by location. Often the eligibility criteria for most of them includes some type of disability that serves as a barrier to employment. We’ve found that definition to be more expansive than you might imagine and some of our refugee clients have qualified to participate. The best resource for refugees has been employment in the retail stores, which do not have the same eligibility criteria. They are very supportive employers that emphasize training and advancement opportunities. All of their openings are listed on the national website http://www.goodwill.org/ We have also met with all of the hiring managers in the individual stores that are on bus lines. Some agreed to receive an email copy of the applications or a heads up that a qualified Caritas client has applied. Several refugees, including some with very low English language proficiency, were already working at Goodwill Stores, so we were able to provide examples of their success and references from other Goodwill store managers.

Transportation Workers Identification Credential (TWIC): This credential is a pilot program of the Maritime Transportation Safety Administration to ensure that anyone who might “pose a threat do not gain unescorted access to secure areas of the nation's maritime transportation system”. It is now required for dock workers, long shore workers, truck drivers and anyone who has unescorted access to secure areas or regulated maritime facilities like ports and vessels. It includes biometrics, digital photographs and an extensive background check. In addition to being required for certain types of jobs, it can give qualified refugees an extra edge. Asylees, refugees and Legal Permanent Residents are all eligible, but there are stringent documentation requirements. For example, a foreign passport AND I-94 are required. The website to find out more is http://www.tsa.gov/what_we_do/layers/twic/index.shtm. This doesn’t really apply in landlocked Austin, so I can’t provide any first-hand experience.

If anyone gains insight or has good experiences with either of these resources, it would be great to hear from you through this site.

Tell Me About Yourself: The Importance Of A Well-Done Resume!

Let's face it...today's job market is not what it used to be. Competition is still at an all-time high for any and every job. Previously "undesirable" positions and industries are still seeing huge volumes of potential candidates. Don't be surprised if you find yourself competing against a Master's level or Ph.D. for that entry level position that you thought nobody wanted! According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national unemployment rate is hovering right around 9%, but to families who are unable to make ends meet, this number can feel arbitrary and all they really know is that they are struggling. Spending hours on the internet or at job fairs can be a draining process, and it can become harder and harder to present yourself in an upbeat and positive light to potential employers. This is why an organized, professional-looking, and visually sharp resume is so critical. This is the first introduction between yourself and a potential employer, and these first impressions are everything!

If you've ever asked someone else for their help in crafting your resume, you know without a doubt that everyone has opinions on what to include and not to include on a resume. Should you open with some sort of "summary" or "objective" about your skills and experience? Should your resume fit on one page only or is it acceptable to make it 2? Do you need one general resume, and one industry-specific resume with you at all times? How do you write a cover letter? Does anyone read cover letters anymore? The list goes on and on and answers to these questions are still up for debate! The reality is the job seeker needs to make their own worth stand out in a confident way without seeming arrogant or unprofessional. Employers can afford to be extremely choosy so even one small mistake can be the fatal error that earns your resume a one-way trip to the shredder.

"Resume building workshops" are an excellent way to introduce job seekers to the art of resumes. Plus, they are a volunteer opportunity for professionals in the community to give their time. Our next resume workshop is tomorrow, and we have been fortunate enough to have the event sponsored by a local organization as part of their service learning project. This is also an opportunity to gain "match" support as well as cultivating relationships with interested community members who may be able to devote their time on a longer-term basis.

What do you think makes for a great resume that will stand out from the competition??

Yet Another Workshop?

In addition to the intake, enormous amount of case management, and cultural orientation, a resettlement agency should also provide another tool to newly arriving Americans: a job readiness workshop.

A workshop environment, when set up the right way, can be a wonderful learning tool. It can provide a safe and open environment for soon-to-be-working individuals to express their concerns in a safe setting and where they can learn real solutions. It is a chance for participants to learn from one another and to connect and bond as a community.

One topic that always comes up in our Pittsburgh job readiness workshop is transportation. We know why this is a concern: picture yourself lost on the bus without the language or topographical knowledge of the land. Now imagine knowing, even though you do not speak the language, that the bus goes in a circle and will come back to this stop again — or having pictures in your hand of the buildings you need to look for of your stop. This provides empowerment – and security.

All of us strive to empower clients to help them reach self-sufficiency. Job readiness workshops provide a sense of group learning, which furthers them toward that goal. Does your site already provide a job readiness workshop or something like it? If so, please give us an example of something that works well so that we can learn from one another.

Don't Forget About the Basics

After being reminded of a very basic job resource I hadn’t utilized recently, it seemed like a good idea to reiterate the basic sources of job announcements and a couple of tips for using them more effectively. It always pays to keep up with the easy targets. They all have their limitations, but it doesn’t take too long to keep up with them and every little bit helps. It’s also good for clients to understand how they work and how to use them for their own independent job searches in the future.

•Craigslist – This is by far the most widely used source of job postings in Austin now, having surpassed the local newspaper classified ads. We help clients understand the limits of responding to posts, but encourage them to monitor it on their own. Sometimes, I spot an announcement from an employer I have contacts with and have been able to call and secure some attention for qualified clients who have applied. Sometimes I can follow-up in advance when a phone number is listed. Every week, I try to respond to key postings with a general advertisement for our services so they might remember to contact us first the next time they need to hire. I haven’t been able to track any job leads to this approach, but it doesn’t take me long and it can’t hurt.

• Local workforce office – Every State has some kind of workforce support program. Many have resource centers for job seekers. In Texas, they have a very well designed and maintained online job bank. You can input a profile and it generates job leads. All of the organizations that help refugees find jobs here have established their own profile to access entry level jobs we can then share with clients.

• Web-based job search sites – There are tons of these. http://www.Indeed.com compiles announcements from many job lists and has a feature that delivers job updates based on your criteria. I get one just for dishwasher jobs. I have to follow-up to confirm that the opening really does exist, but it’s very helpful. There are also sites specific to certain industries. http://www.Ihire.com offers several, including one for optometry that I recently used to help a pair of Cuban ophthalmic surgeons in their job searches.

• Newspaper classifieds – As I mentioned previously,, this source is much less popular than Craigslist now. But, the Sunday classified often advertise job fairs or large employer casting calls that can be helpful. I have tried to establish contacts found through a classified and it sometimes results in a longer term opportunity even if the advertised position has been filled.

• Employer websites – I regularly check a short list of on-line job sites for employers that we work with or would like to target. Even our strongest partners don’t always have the time to alert us when they post an opening. I always check our hotel partners web-based job sites, as well as large retailers and a few other firms that rely on their on-line presence for hiring purposes. I can then alert Employment Specialists and refresh contact with the employer if necessary.

• Business Journals – Many cities have a newspaper targeting the business community. The Austin Business Journal publishes an annual Book of Lists that I have found very useful for identifying potential new employers. The bi-monthly newspaper has been less useful for concrete leads, but has helped me identify long term trends, new major employers or vibrant industries. Plus, sometimes it gives me talking points for networking.

Another Addition



RefugeeWorks is pleased to announce another addition to the blogging team -- Dawn Zuckerman!

A former Peace Corps volunteer, Dawn Zuckerman started at Jewish Family & Children's Service of Pittsburgh (JFCS) in 2005 as an intern while earning her Master's in Social Work from the University of Pittsburgh.  She was hired upon graduation as an employment specialist, overseeing multiple employment programs for immigrants and refugees, including the Refugee Social Service Program and the Matching Grant Program.  

Dawn recently presented at Refugee Works Matching Grant Employment Training Institute held this past March in Atlanta. She has also developed and ran training sessions at the 2011 Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society conference, and at several conferences and consultations in Pennsylvania. One of her favorite topics to present on is “Culturally Competent Job Readiness Skills.”  Through her experiences and sensitivity to the cultural adjustment process, she has been able to streamline the job search process to a shorter timeframe while simultaneously producing higher outcomes for JFCS of Pittsburgh.

Look for her contributions on the blog to be out of the box and insightful. Be sure to leave comments with your thoughts!

P.S.  Email information@refugeeworks.org if you would like to contribute to the blog.  We are always looking for more voices, ideas, and thoughts about refugee employment.

Welcome to the Refugee Resource Room for Employment!

Exodus Refugee’s Resource Room opened in February, and staff has already had the pleasure of serving over 20 individual clients who are seeking employment support. Generously made possible through grant funds, this space is a drop-in computer lab for clients to complete job applications, do internet searches, and paper applications are of course always on hand! Clients can receive individualized employment support as the Resource Room is always staffed with both interns and Employment Staff!

Our Employment Department encourages clients to attend during open hours to discuss their individual employment efforts, needs, and concerns. Open 2 days a week for 2 hours at a time, this format provides a structured timeframe and environment to deliver employment services in a comprehensive way. Special considerations are always also made for clients who cannot attend during these hours and staff always does their best to accommodate clients’ individual scheduling needs. This service offered has also expanded to include workshops focused on resume building and writing, which also provides an excellent opportunity for community volunteers to get involved! Not only is this a great service to provide to our clients, but the time and materials donated may also be counted as “match” towards our Matching Grant Program.

One other resource available is the “interview clothes closet” where interview appropriate clothing for both men and women is available to clients if they need it before a job interview. Donations and a few bought items stock the “clothes closet”. Recently, a client who completed our Hospitality Training Program accessed items from the closet for a hotel housekeeping job interview at a local downtown hotel, and she was offered the job on the spot!

All of these services combined have created a space that is designed for our clients to have a place that is devoted entirely to them and their quest of obtaining and maintaining meaningful employment! Employment Staff is dedicated to taking any and all necessary steps to provide continuing support towards clients’ employment needs, which undoubtedly is THE gateway towards our ultimate goal of self-sufficiency!

What kinds of resources are available in your community to assist refugees who are seeking work?

UNHCR’s Inaugural Refugee Congress and ORR's Annual Consultation

The Office of Refugee Resettlement is accepting nominations for participation at ORR’s National Consultation on August 1-2, 2011 as well as UNHCR’s first Refugee Congress to be held immediately following the consultation on August 3-4, 2011.  Opportunities are available to participate in person as well as through special “Refugee Voices” media presentations.

Voluntary agencies, community based organizations, and MAAs are asked to submit nominations of refugees to participate, via their State Refugee Coordinators, by April 30^th.  State Refugee Coordinators will then forward a list of up to five (5) nominations from each state, and ORR and UNHCR will review the nominations upon receipt. 

For more information, read letters from ORR and UNHCR at http://www.refugeeworks.org/.

New GAO Report

Yesterday, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report titled, "Refugee Assistance: Little is Known About the Effectiveness of Different Approaches for Improving Refugees’ Employment Outcomes.”

You can view the report here: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d11369.pdf

A Little More About Jesamyn

We are happy to have Jesamyn join the RefugeeWorks blogging team.  Please do leave comments for her (and the other writers!) so we know you stopped by.

Meet Jesamyn

Jesamyn is the Coordinator of Employment Services for Exodus Refugee Services in Indianapolis, Indiana.  She actively seeks new businesses who will employ refugee clients and acts as a liaison between job seekers and employers. She educates employers about the skills of newly arriving refugees and serves as a contact to troubleshoot any issues that may arise after they are hired.   Jesamyn also supervises other staff as well as interns to execute the overall vision for the Employment Department.   Recently spear-headed the opening of the Refugee Resource Center, housed within Exodus Refugee Services.  This new center provides a comprehensive collection of community referral information as well as a clothes closet with professional clothes and accessories for those first interviews.

Jesamyn says that her favorite part of her job is, “seeing families gain "self-sufficiency" and become contributing members of the Indianapolis community. I gain a deep feeling of professional and personal satisfaction when I know that efforts made by myself or other staff have a positive and lasting impact on people’s lives. I consider sustainable and meaningful employment to be THE gateway to self-sufficiency!”

Outside of work, Jesamyn  enjoys spending time with her family and friends, visiting art galleries and having a good conversation over dinner with a good bottle of wine.  She can also be found hunting for vintage furniture, trying on the latest fashion trends and discovering hidden treasures in places she visits and the people she meets.

P.S.  RefugeeWorks is always looking for blog writers from the front lines who can share insights and express  challenges they face in helping refugees work.  If you would like to contribute to the blog, email Rebecca Armstrong at rarmstrong@refugeeworks.org.

Greetings from Indianapolis!

Hello out there!

I am beyond thrilled to be joining Refugee Works as a contributing blogger! Thanks to the wonderful folks I recently met at the Refugee Works Match Grant Educational Training Institute: Atlanta, I am able to share with you insider information from the world of refugee resettlement. Working with refugees certainly is a dynamic and ever-changing environment to be a part of, and the resilience and determination of my clients is nothing short of amazing. As an Employment Developer and Coordinator of Employment Services, it is my job to "get the word out" about who refugees are, and what they have to offer as unique and dedicated employees in the workplace. How does one do this you may ask? You will find the answer to this question and many more as this quest unfolds in postings to come...so stay tuned! Employment Staff has been, and will always be dedicated to seeing each and every client succeed, and I am pleased to say we have come up with some creative and interesting ways to achieve this! For starters, our Hospitality Training Program is generating buzz around the community...clients are looking for real solutions to prepare them to enter the U.S. workforce or to go after that higher paying and more stable job. The course is an excellent intensive as well as short-term training option, and clients are able to attend these weekly classes in our newly opened Refugee Resource Center!

My first experience working with refugees began almost a year ago, when I came to work at Exodus Refugee Immigration, Inc. in Indianapolis, Indiana. Working for non-profits is not a new role for me, but working so closely with clients from such diverse backgrounds is. My eyes were immediately opened..wide open!! There is something to be said for the determination that propels us forward, drives us to take one more step along the path of "stepping stones", and allows us to connect with others in a deep and meaningful way. The human spirit never fails to amaze and inspire me. Refugees are people that have literally been forced to flee for their lives, or face persecution and/or imprisonment, and it is our responsibility to help them build new ones. I am proud to say that Indianapolis holds an eclectic mix of people and opportunities, and celebrating these differences can only enrich the fabric of our community. Please join me in this journey of information sharing and discovery, reporting from the "front lines", and client and employer success stories! As always, comments and questions are welcome at any time. Thank you for taking the time to read, and get ready to take a ride on a journey that you hopefully will find exciting and useful as you contribute to the community of wherever you happen to work, live, and love.

Best Wishes,

Jesamyn

Handouts about Staffing Agencies -- download HERE!

Here are the links to the handouts Lorel mentioned in the previous post. We hope you will find them useful for your staff and clients.

Caritas of Austin Staffing Agency Overview

Employment Agencies Overview by Lutheran Family Services of Colorado

Leave a comment with any ideas, resources or links you use in your work with staffing agencies.

What About Staffing Agencies?

I find this a difficult topic to get a handle on. To be honest, Caritas hasn’t been very successful in helping clients get work through staffing agencies. I recently picked the brains of several Austin staffing agencies and refugee employment colleagues, including Jaci Hernandez with Lutheran Family Services in Colorado, who comes from a staffing agency background. JACKPOT! She gave me great ideas, which I’ll attempt to share here.

Caritas strategy has been to explain the process and advantages to clients and let them apply on their own. It has been effective in helping clients understand the staffing agency structure and to identify jobs advertised through staffing agencies, but hasn’t gotten anyone a job. Lutheran Family Services has organized a much more structured approach with a screening, selection and referral process targeting staffing agencies. So far this year, it’s delivered approximately 35 jobs for qualified clients.

Jaci says, “the most successful approach has been finding names of companies that use staffing agencies, calling the company and “selling” our services to them and asking them for the staffing agency info and hiring manager. When contacting the hiring managers at the agency, use the referral from their client (the employer) as an “in” and set up a face to face meeting.” I wonder if it might be possible to actually get the company to mention to the agency that they would like to see qualified refugee clients?

Strong English and US workplace skills are critical for successful placements, as is the ability to move very quickly with well screened clients. Staffing agencies fill requests for specific skill sets mandated by employers, most of which require English and an extremely short turnaround. Staffing agency paperwork and processes also require strong English comprehension. If clients can’t succeed quickly in placements, employers are not satisfied and staffing agencies lose money. That’s the bottom line, rather than helping refugees or any other disadvantaged population. Here are a few process points that can make this work:

Find out typical jobs agencies need to fill and pre-screen clients

This lets you know who would be good in advance. Then, when there’s an opening, you don’t have to waste time with screening. You could brief the clients about how it will work during screening so they are ready and available to move quickly.

Help a few clients complete the application even when there are no jobs.

The agency will begin to see that you are a great source of fast turnaround and reliable clients. And, a client might get a job just because they were ready to go.

Be ready to move VERY quickly, when an opening comes up.

Have resumes and other information at hand. Consider completing the online application yourself, rather than spending the time to have the client come in and do it with you.

Don’t refer anyone who isn’t qualified.

Several refugee employment programs I talked to had lost contacts when the clients they referred didn't work out. One of the staffing agencies I talked to is one we lost and they were painfully frank about why they wouldn't work with refugee agencies again.

Based on her experience on both sides of this employment pathway, Jaci says, “the most important thing to keep in mind is that staffing is a money motivated business, so second chances aren’t something they give very often to both us and the clients.”

Jaci gave me a write-up she uses internally to explain the process she’s developed and to help her team be more successful with staffing agencies. After much thought, I couldn’t explain it any better. So, she’s given me permission to share her document. I’ve also attached the handout I developed for clients and use in our Job Club. As I compare it to Jaci’s explanation, I feel good that it reflects the same basic understanding that she conveys, only in a simplified format for non-native readers of English. Both documents are available as free downloads on the Refugeeworks website.

Processing More than Food in Portland, Oregon

RefugeeWorks was on the road again in January and found out the Northwest is known for more than its Pinot Noir and rain. RefugeeWorks was invited to give a presentation at the Northwest Food Processors Association Expo. Along with Tara Wolfson from the Idaho state refugee office, Lana Whiteford from IRC Boise, and I presented to a room of H.R. representatives and hiring managers. The food processing industry is no stranger to the refugee population but there are still a plethora of companies who can benefit from these new Americans. One of the main issues that was stressed in our sessions and others that I attended was the importance if a solid training program for those wishing to enter into the industry. These courses are anywhere from 2-6 weeks in length. By working with local food processors and community colleges we can help create these courses for refugees and immigrants alike. In turn, we will be creating good jobs for our clients and preparing them to be successful.

Easy Ways to Add Value and Keep in Touch with Employers

Even when I did a bit of job development as an Employment Specialist, we’ve tried to maintain regular contact with a short list of major employers on a quarterly basis, beyond the day to day of getting clients hired. I wanted to provide them with something useful for our clients and remind them that we’re good partners that they can count on. I also needed a quick and cost effective approach. We’ve gotten good feedback and, over time, a couple of employers have indicated that they have come to rely on the information we provide.

Here are some of the things we’ve done:
• Send a brief email with translated notices about daylight savings time changes to be posted in staff areas. This helps all of their employees be on time to their first shift after the change goes into affect

• A quick list of language and cultural resources, including a local workplace ESL provider, Burmese and Arabic IPhone apps and a great movie about the situation in Myanmar (Burma VJ) that was showing in town.

• Early in the year, provide a list of dates of non-Christian holidays that might affect requests for days off or levels of concentration – like Ramadan and Buddhist spring holidays. We include World Refugee Day and the dates that we will be closed and unavailable to respond to client support requests, as well.

• Deliver posters with translations about valuable community resources that can help all of their employees. For example, Caritas collaborates with a community tax service that helps low-income residents file and claim refunds for free. Sharing this information helps our clients, strengthens employer relations with us and with all of their employees.

• Especially for smaller employers without dedicated Human Resources staff, we have provided information about the Work Opportunity Tax Credit, for which most of our clients can help employers qualify. You can get handouts and information at http://www.doleta.gov/business/incentives/opptax/employer.cfm

We’re really excited about our most recent offering targeting hotels. One hotel requested a picture guide for items found in guest rooms so guests could indicate what they want rather than wait for our clients to bring someone who spoke English. We think this will also be great continued ESL reinforcement and a subtle advertisement for Caritas since we’ll include our logo and a blurb. We now have it in Burmese, Arabic and Spanish and are working on Nepali and Swahili. Some hotels are requesting that new hires bring their copies and a couple have expressed interest in procuring them for their non-Caritas employees.

Expanding Resettlement to Where the Jobs Are

I just read an evaluation study by Lifetrack Resources (St. Paul, MN) that looks at the services they provided to Karen refugees who moved to Worthington, MN for a better paying entry-level job. The study suggests that Lifetrack provided both sustainable employment outcomes and additional services that helped newcomers get established in the small community of Worthington, even though Worthington is 185 miles from Lifetrack's office in St. Paul.

Most interesting to me is the section of the report that discusses the supports provided by the main employer, JBS. JBS is the largest employer in Worthington with about 2,300 employees. Roughly 80 employees of Karen origin were placed there through Lifetrack Resources over a 3 year period from 2007 to 2010. Lifetrack set up a Memorandum of Agreement with the company so that temporary housing is provided at a hotel and then $500 is available toward a longer hotel stay, first month's rent, or a deposit on an apartment. This investment demonstrates the company's interest in retaining qualified and reliable workers.

Read the full report here. Does anyone else have partnerships set up like this with employers who are outside of your traditional servive area?