Our Mission
Upwardly Global dismantles employment barriers for work-authorized immigrant, refugee, and asylee professionals while advancing the inclusion of their skills into the U.S. economy.
Our Vision
We envision an equitable, welcoming country where everyone — including immigrants, refugees, and asylees — can fully contribute and thrive.
The Challenge
50% of recently arrived immigrants have at least a bachelor’s degree, yet 1 in 4 are unable to get a job at their skill level. This leaves 2 million+ work-authorized immigrant professionals unemployed or underemployed. Meanwhile, by 2035, immigrants and their children are expected to be the sole source of U.S. workforce growth.
Many work-authorized immigrants don’t know the soft skills of the American job market, and many employers can’t see past biases to a jobseeker’s talents and skills. This creates a disconnect that leads to, for example, doctors working in service jobs – even as we’re experiencing a shortage of doctors in many parts of the country.
Our strategy is anchored by three pillars:
Seek insight
The people we work with are facing complex and varied challenges. For immigrants, refugees, and asylees, these challenges are deeply personal. HR professionals are trying to balance the humanity behind their work with evolving technology, and our community partners are guiding newcomers through sensitive, critical transitions. Our success as an organization depends on our continued attention to all these partners’ unique needs and obstacles, which is why we work one-on-one to build relationships and learn as we go. We always stay close to the people we serve and continuously update our services based on their insights.
Leverage technology
We supplement our human-centered approach with a keen understanding of the technology that’s driving workforce integration. Artificial intelligence is reshaping the workforce, and we must embrace it to ensure our job seekers have access to the opportunities they deserve. We are leveraging AI to address systemic barriers that lock too many out of these opportunities, aiming to dismantle inequities and build systems rooted in fairness and inclusion.
Track success
We offer coaching, training, tools, resources, opportunities for networking and engagement, and genuine partnership to all the people we serve. How do we know our strategy works? We’ve placed 35,000+ job seekers in skill-aligned jobs, and people who get placed through our programs, on average, more than triple their salary. One in four employers using our talent solutions hire from within our network, and Upwardly Global alumni contribute over $1.9M annually to the U.S. economy.
Our vision may be bold, but it is rooted in the reality of the success we see every day.
How it Works:
UpGlo Direct
UpGlo Talent
UpGlo Connect
Our Values
Respect
Treating all people with respect and dignity is the foundation of our mission.
Building Power
We provide our staff with the support they need to help immigrants reach their full potential in the U.S.
Collaboration
We strive to create a collaborative community with our staff, partners and supporters.
Innovation
We trust each other to be creative, solve problems, and continuously evolve.
Passion for Mission
We believe immigration is an engine of our economy, and we believe in the American Dream.
Inclusion
We promote inclusion in our programs and model diverse hiring practices within our organization.