New grant from WES Mariam Assefa Fund will support a healthcare learning community to create quality jobs and career opportunities for immigrant and refugee workers in healthcare

Dec. 13, 2021, Washington, DC – Career pathways look different in different sectors, and workforce solutions must be tailored to their varying needs. With a new $150,000 grant from WES Mariam Assefa Fund, the National Fund for Workforce Solutions will collaborate with employers across the United States to improve economic mobility for immigrants and refugees in healthcare.

The pandemic exacerbated existing critical labor shortages in the healthcare sector. And yet, many immigrant professionals who are trained and ready to contribute to the healthcare workforce are unable to do so.

To address these barriers to employment and meet urgent workforce needs, the National Fund will establish the Healthcare Immigrant Workforce Project. Modeled after the successful CareerSTAT Healthcare Workforce Development Academy, the project will use peer learning to build individual competencies of workforce professionals and accelerate the adoption of best practices that address the needs of frontline immigrant and refugee workers.

“Immigrant workers play a significant role on the front lines of the healthcare workforce, a role that is only going to grow given current labor market dynamics,” said Tom Strong, the National Fund’s director of employer activation. “We’re excited to engage our national network of healthcare employers who are committed to making jobs better. Together, they will learn, share, and adopt evidence-based practices to create quality jobs and career pathways for immigrant and refugee workers.”

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About National Fund for Workforce Solutions

The National Fund for Workforce Solutions invests in a dynamic national network of 30+ communities taking a demand-driven, evidence-based approach to workforce development. At the local level, the National Fund’s partner organizations contribute resources, test ideas, collect data, and improve public policies and business practices that help all workers succeed and employers have the talent they need to compete. Learn more at www.NationalFund.org.

About WES

WES is a non-profit social enterprise dedicated to helping international students, immigrants, and refugees to achieve their educational and career goals in the United States and Canada. For more than 45 years, WES has set the standard of excellence in the field of international academic credential evaluation. Through WES Global Talent Bridge, the organization joins with institutional partners, community-based organizations, and policymakers to help immigrants and refugees who hold international credentials fully to utilize their talents and education to achieve their academic and professional goals. Its philanthropic arm, the WES Mariam Assefa Fund, supports catalytic leaders and organizations working to build inclusive economies and to ensure that immigrants and refugees can achieve their aspirations and thrive. Learn more at www.wes.org.