Grant will support workforce development for Afghan evacuees now in the U.S.
Upwardly Global is excited to announce a $1.5 million grant from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Refugee Resettlement (ORR) to help newly arrived Afghan evacuees integrate into the United States workforce as they shift from Safe Havens to resettlement sites throughout the country.
Of the more than 80,000 evacuees from Afghanistan who have arrived in the U.S. as the military withdrew from Afghanistan in the summer, nearly 50,000 were initially housed at Safe Havens throughout the country. Following resettlement, Afghan professionals will need to quickly move to restart their careers, both to connect with their new communities and provide for themselves and their families.
The partnership’s aim is to help the evacuees find careers in their field in the U.S. This grant will support the creation of on-site career labs and computer access, orientation sessions with Upwardly Global staff, group application assistance, individual industry-specific career pathways coaching, and employer presentations and networking opportunities in alignment with Upwardly Global’s mission and expertise in bringing meaningful employment to this skilled population.
“Now more than ever, resources are required to ensure newcomers entering our country under dire circumstances have the tools and resources needed to integrate and restart their lives in the U.S.,” said Upwardly Global CEO Jina Krause-Vilmar. “With this grant and Upwardly Global’s expanded partnership with the ORR, we will be able to directly service thousands of our Afghan allies who have been evacuated into the U.S. with workforce development training and career pathways.”
After resettlement, participants will continue to work remotely with their coach on advancing their career pathway plan, navigating job applications and interviews, and identifying supplementary training and reskilling/upskilling opportunities.
“Our allies will be entering the U.S. workforce at a time where their skills are desperately needed by employers,” Krause-Vilmar added. “Their contributions will be a net gain and a benefit to the current labor market.”
With over 20 years of experience working with newly arrived immigrants and refugee professionals, as well as extensive connections with refugee resettlement agencies and other local community-based organizations, Upwardly Global is uniquely poised to equip Afghan evacuees with the skills, credentials, and connections that will position them for swift, high-quality employment that aligns with their education and experience levels.
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Upwardly Global received $1,500,000 in funding through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Grant 90ZM0026-01-01. The project will be financed with 58.14% of federal funds and 41.86% nongovernmental sources. The contents of this press release are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families.
About Upwardly Global
Upwardly Global is a national nonprofit whose mission is to eliminate employment barriers for immigrant and refugee professionals, and advance the inclusion of their skills into the U.S. economy.