Welcoming Communities in Action Archives - WES https://www.wes.org/blog/welcoming-communities-in-action/ Wed, 27 Aug 2025 16:18:52 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.3 https://www.wes.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/cropped-WES_Logo_RGB-Primary_Green-Clearspace-e1719869905447-32x32.png Welcoming Communities in Action Archives - WES https://www.wes.org/blog/welcoming-communities-in-action/ 32 32 SIIP’s New Name, Same Mission: Building Inclusive Communities Together https://www.wes.org/resource-library/blog/welcoming-communities-in-action/siips-new-name-same-mission-building-inclusive-communities-together/ Wed, 05 Feb 2025 19:20:37 +0000 https://www.wes.org/?p=47709 World Education Services (WES) is excited to announce a new name for the SIIP program, reflecting its growing impact and ongoing commitment to fostering inclusion and opportunity. Formerly standing for Skilled Immigrant Integration Program, SIIP will now stand for Strengthening Immigrant Inclusion Program. This change aligns with WES’ evolving strategy to support the educational, economic, […]

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]]> Colorado’s Office of New Americans Is Elevating Immigrant Inclusion in State Government https://www.wes.org/resource-library/blog/welcoming-communities-in-action/colorados-office-of-new-americans-is-elevating-immigrant-inclusion-in-state-government/ Thu, 31 Oct 2024 19:07:03 +0000 https://www.wes.org/?p=46525 In June 2021, Colorado’s General Assembly took a vital step forward by passing HB21-1150 with bipartisan support, creating the Colorado Office of New Americans (ONA). In creating the office, the state recognized the importance of the social and economic inclusion of its immigrant population, which comprises nearly 10 percent of the state’s population. Leveraging the […]

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]]> Texas: Catalyzing Statewide Synergies with SIIP   https://www.wes.org/resource-library/blog/welcoming-communities-in-action/texas-catalyzing-statewide-synergies-with-siip/ Wed, 30 Oct 2024 21:30:56 +0000 https://www.wes.org/?p=46589 In 2019, a network of Texas-based adult educators led by the Texas Workforce Commission’s Adult Education and Literacy (AEL) program joined the Skilled Immigrant Integration Program (SIIP) to ensure that the state’s adult education system was providing optimized support for its 894,000 college-educated immigrants and refugees, an estimated 21% of whom are unemployed or underemployed […]

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]]> How State and Local Efforts Are Leading the Way on Data Collection to Better Serve Immigrants and Refugees https://www.wes.org/resource-library/blog/welcoming-communities-in-action/how-state-and-local-efforts-are-leading-the-way-on-data-collection-to-better-serve-immigrants-and-refugees/ Wed, 02 Oct 2024 15:27:11 +0000 https://www.wes.org/?p=45919 In April 2024, the United States Department of Labor released the Bridging the Gap for New Americans Final Report, which analyzes barriers to economic inclusion as well as strategies for overcoming them. In its analysis of currently available resources, the report highlights the need for additional data on internationally trained immigrant and refugee job seekers. […]

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]]> St. Louis, MO: Creating Career Pathways with SIIP   https://www.wes.org/resource-library/blog/welcoming-communities-in-action/st-louis-mo-creating-career-pathways-with-siip/ Mon, 30 Sep 2024 21:25:00 +0000 https://www.wes.org/?p=46582 St. Louis has one of the country’s fastest-growing immigrant and refugee populations, yet the city misses out on $57 million in taxable earnings each year due to their systemic underemployment and unemployment. In 2018, the International Institute of St. Louis (IISTL) joined the Skilled Immigrant Integration Program (SIIP) to address the barriers driving this disparity.  […]

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]]> WES Global Talent Bridge Evolves https://www.wes.org/resource-library/blog/welcoming-communities-in-action/wes-global-talent-bridge-evolves/ Fri, 06 Sep 2024 18:26:00 +0000 https://www.wes.org/?p=45591 In 2012, World Education Services – long known as the leading North American provider of academic credential evaluations for international students and immigrants seeking to work and study in the United States and Canada – made its first foray into systems-change social impact work with the official launch of WES Global Talent Bridge.   Our original […]

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]]> How the New Mexico Dream Team Is Igniting the Next Generation of Visionaries  https://www.wes.org/resource-library/blog/welcoming-communities-in-action/how-the-new-mexico-dream-team-is-igniting-the-next-generation-of-visionaries/ Wed, 04 Sep 2024 16:12:40 +0000 https://www.wes.org/?p=45567 For many immigrants and refugees entering the United States, the first priority is often survival. But Eduardo Esquivel and the New Mexico Dream Team go much further—engaging and educating their communities, pushing for policy and systems change, and helping undocumented and mixed-status families thrive.  Born in Chihuahua, Mexico, a 7-year-old Eduardo immigrated with his family […]

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]]> Portland, ME: Championing a Vibrant, Inclusive State Workforce with SIIP https://www.wes.org/resource-library/blog/welcoming-communities-in-action/portland-me-championing-a-vibrant-inclusive-state-workforce-with-siip/ Fri, 30 Aug 2024 21:16:19 +0000 https://www.wes.org/?p=46574 Grappling with an aging population and acute labor shortages, the Portland Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO) joined the Skilled Immigrant Integration Program (SIIP) in 2018 with the goal of bolstering the local workforce through immigrant and refugee economic inclusion.   For years, business leaders in Portland and throughout Maine had been sounding the alarm on a […]

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]]> Nevada: From State Office to Statewide Action with SIIP  https://www.wes.org/resource-library/blog/welcoming-communities-in-action/nevada-from-state-office-to-statewide-action-with-siip/ Wed, 31 Jul 2024 21:12:27 +0000 https://www.wes.org/?p=46567 Immigrants and refugees make up nearly 20% of Nevada’s population, and a full quarter of the state’s workforce. Yet of the state’s 87,200 immigrant and refugee workers with a four-year degree or higher, nearly 40% are unemployed or underemployed – the result of systemic barriers like limited credential recognition and uneven access to career navigation […]

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]]> Louisville, KY: A Regional Collaboration Positioned for Impact through SIIP   https://www.wes.org/resource-library/blog/welcoming-communities-in-action/louisville-ky-a-regional-collaboration-positioned-for-impact-through-siip/ Fri, 28 Jun 2024 21:06:40 +0000 https://www.wes.org/?p=46559 When a cohort of Louisville-based organizations joined the Skilled Immigrant Integration Program (SIIP) in 2017, the region had 30,000 open jobs – 9,000 requiring post-secondary training – and not enough workers to fill them. Local leaders from the Louisville Metro Government Office for Globalization (now called the Louisville Metro Government’s Office for Immigrant Affairs), KentuckianaWorks, […]

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]]> Empowered to Lead: Meet Enver Latifzade, LGBTQ+ Refugee and Community Leader https://www.wes.org/resource-library/blog/welcoming-communities-in-action/empowered-to-lead-meet-enver-latifzade-lgbtq-refugee-and-community-leader/ Fri, 28 Jun 2024 01:48:12 +0000 https://www.wes.org/?p=44864 Written by Shevani Khatri, U.S. Program Associate Enver Latifzade, a key volunteer and leader for the community-based nonprofit RUSA LGBTQ+ (RUSA), came to New York City in 2014 from Uzbekistan seeking asylum as a result of increased homophobia in his home country. RUSA’s mission is to support New York City’s Eurasian LGBTQ+ population. While he was […]

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]]> Amplifying Voices, Empowering Communities: Journey of Reframing South Vancouver https://www.wes.org/resource-library/blog/welcoming-communities-in-action/amplifying-voices-empowering-communities-journey-of-reframing-south-vancouver/ Tue, 18 Jun 2024 23:01:00 +0000 https://www.wes.org/?p=44858 Written by: Ani Gurtsishvili, Canada Program Associate South Vancouver Neighbourhood House (SVNH) is a community-based organization offering programs and services in the South Vancouver catchment. Despite its rich cultural tapestry, South Vancouver has historically lacked equitable resource allocation and representation. With more than 80 percent of its residents being racialized individuals and families, SVNH saw an urgency […]

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