Strengthening Immigrant Inclusion Program (SIIP)

Idaho and Utah have been significant refugee resettlement hubs for decades, but recent federal restrictions have resulted in sharply decreased arrivals and new challenges to local workplace development programming. With the help of SIIP, Idaho’s Global Talent and Utah’s One Refugee were able to form and lead an effective cross-regional cohort to expand workplace development programming, advance coaching services, and build support and awareness for the challenges faced by internationally educated refugees in the area. 

Continuing a hundred years of experience championing local immigrants and refugees, the International Institute of Buffalo (IIB) partnered with SIIP to better serve the growing population of immigrants in Buffalo, which represented more than 10 percent of the city’s population in 2020. With the help of SIIP, the IIB was able to create a series of career pathways guides, form a partnership with the WES Gateway Program, and establish a new mentoring program to help immigrants and refugees network with local professionals in their fields. 

To better serve their growing numbers of internationally trained refugee and migrant arrivals, Lincoln, Nebraska’s New American Task Force (NATF) and EmployLNK partnered together to join the SIIP in 2019. Starting with a first-of-its-kind community survey and subsequent extensive career guides, the partners’ work eventually expanded into the impressive CareerLadder Project designed to connect individuals with technical assistance and in-demand jobs. Lincoln’s SIIP cohort has made other significant partnerships since then, working on positioning CareerLadder as a statewide resource and continuing their important work in creating a more inclusive workforce in Nebraska. 

When Louisville-based organizations joined SIIP in 2017, the region was struggling to fill 30,000 open jobs and establish robust employment training programs focused on immigrant workforce inclusion, despite being home to over 75,000 immigrants and refugees. SIIP helped these organizations bridge the gap by strengthening the partnership of the cohort and enabling them to secure long-term financial support for re-credentialing and training efforts, ultimately working to open several career pathways for internationally trained individuals in the region.  

Immigrants and refugees make up nearly 20% of Nevada’s population, but nearly 40% of internationally educated individuals are unemployed or underemployed. To help rectify this, Nevada’s Governor’s Office of New Americans and joined SIIP in 2020 to help establish the Immigrant Workforce Development Group (IWDG), a partnership of several local agencies and stakeholders, to develop a two-year plan for greater coordination, funding and programming across the state and shine a spotlight on immigrants and refugees with international degrees. 

Faced with an aging population and acute labor shortages, the Portland Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO) joined SIIP in 2018 to boost economic inclusion of the growing population of immigrants and refugees across Maine. The OEO was able to make significant strides in addressing prominent licensing and certification barriers, establishing a strong mentorship program, and even passing notable legislation focused on immigrant recruitment, retention, and employment. The efforts of OEO and SIIP together ultimately positioned Maine as a leader in immigrant and refugee inclusion. 

Home to one of the country’s fastest-growing immigrant and refugee populations in the country, St. Louis recognized an important gap in the underemployment of internationally trained refugees and immigrants and the opportunity to boost their local economy. The International Institute of St. Louis (IISTL) joined SIIP to help address systemic barriers to immigrant and refugee employment, launching two career pathways programs and an extensive public education campaign and bringing together local and national stakeholders in efforts to facilitate immigrant workforce inclusion.  

When Texas’ Adult Education and Literacy (AEL) program selected a group of adult educators to join SIIP in 2019, they had a clear goal in mind: to bridge the gap between the over 100,000 underemployed immigrants and refugees and the many Texas businesses struggling to fill a gap in employment. With SIIP’s help, AEL was able to create a streamlined resource hub for both students and service providers, and eventually formed a strong partnership called Synergy Texas, a group dedicated to facilitating the employment of internationally educated people across the state. 

Michigan’s Office of Global Michigan has taken a proactive approach to promote workforce inclusion for immigrants and refugees, including the creation of resources such as occupational licensing guides and collaborating with other agencies and organizations. The Office of Global Michigan’s involvement in national initiatives like SIIP has positioned the state as a lead example in promoting immigrant and refugee workforce inclusion by increasing equity in hiring practices and facilitating employment connections between state agencies and immigrant and refugee job seekers.  

SIIP partners African Bridge Network and the International Medical Graduates Academy are actively working to integrate internationally trained health care professionals into the U.S. workforce, addressing significant shortages in the sector. Through tailored training and support, they help these individuals overcome barriers to employment and contribute their valuable skills to the health care system.

Three SIIP participants in Texas, Nevada, and Idaho have used a variety of federal and state statutes and existing funding structures to fully pay for credential evaluations for their internationally educated immigrant and refugee clients. These examples demonstrate SIIP participants’ ingenuity in effectively directing existing and available federal and state dollars.

In early August 2023, the 2022-2023 SIIP cohort held its final quarterly call, culminating the successful launch of a new iteration of the program’s structure. The 16 participating communities collaborated in sub-cohorts that centered on four thematic focus areas: Advancing and Retaining Internationally Skilled Employees, Creating Career Navigation Tools and Resources, Developing Contextualized Digital Skills Opportunities, and Workforce Board Partnerships. This new SIIP structure created intimate communities of practice, uniting cities, regions, and states working on similar initiatives to support internationally trained and educated immigrants and refugees.