Dear Colleagues,
Last month, WES Global Talent Bridge and IMPRINT convened communities from across the nation for a special strategy session titled: Leveraging Skilled Immigrant Talent .
As a follow up to that meeting, please find included in this bulletin links to the event's agenda, and a full summary of the overall themes, and 4 breakout sessions discussed:
• Practical Building Blocks for Skilled Immigrant Integration
• Developing an Employer Engagement Strategy
• Increasing Access to Training and Upskilling
• Navigating Licensing and Professional Careers
For those SIRW members that were unable to attend, TA providers in attendance included WES Global Talent Bridge, IMPRINT, Upwardly Global, National Skills Coalition, Community College Consortium for Immigrant Education (CCCIE), National Immigration Forum, Michigan Office for New Americans, Welcome Back Center at LaGuardia Community College, and Partnership for a New American Economy (NAE).
I hope members of this SIRW will review the attached documents and lend your voice and comments to this growing national discussion. Together we can solidify a community of practice to work on these issues collectively over the next year and beyond.
Comments
Hello SIRW Members!
First, thank you to WES and IMPRINT for inviting me to be part of the Leveraging Skilled Immigrant Talent strategy session and expert panel. Secondly, it was great to see that the event convened many communities, including those who participated in the National Skills and Credential Institute (NSCI). During the event, I was able to participate in the Developing an Employer Engagement Strategy break-out session where experienced communities shared initial steps they took to garner employer support and engagement with communities struggling with this issue. I heard one community stress the importance of not dismissing the potential of attending small community events that offer greater opportunities to network and identify key individuals to champion employer support.
As we transition administrations, this type of peer-learning and collaboration will be critical to ensure the rights of immigrants and refugees continue to be protected and that the issues impacting this community are addressed by the next administration. I encourage communities to utilize SIRW to share updates, challenges and successes with each other. As the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE) prepares for the transition of administrations, we would like share that Dr. Debra Suarez, English Language Learning Education Program Specialist, will be OCTAE’s point of contact for immigrant and refugee integration issues moving forward. You can contact Dr. Suarez through LINCS or via email at Debra.Suarez@ed.gov.
As Debra Means mentioned, I look forward to continue working together on immigrant and refugee integration issues as we prepare for the transition and beyond.