For refugee professionals rebuilding their lives in the United States, the challenge is rarely a lack of talent. More often, it is access to information, credential recognition, training, and networks that connect years of education and experience into career opportunities.
This challenge is exactly what brought Human Migration Institute (HMI) and Upwardly Global together.
As the only refugee-serving organization in Riverside County, California, HMI has spent more than a decade supporting refugee communities through education, economic empowerment, community stability, and gender equity. When they launched their Refugee Career Pathways program, the team knew career support would need to extend beyond job placement and into long-term professional growth.
“We were just getting started with the Refugee Career Pathways program when we found out about Upwardly Global, and it was really exciting to know that we didn’t have to look for all this cultural guidance for clients on our own,” says Allison Severns, Refugee Career Pathways Program Manager. “UpGlo already had an understanding of what immigrants and refugees really need when they first come to the U.S.”
Creating a Roadmap for Career Rebuilding
The pathway back to one’s career can feel unfamiliar for refugee professionals transitioning into the U.S. workforce.
HMI’s Career Navigators use UpGlo’s learning platform to create individualized career development plans that match coursework, credentialing opportunities, and career resources to each client’s goals.
Tomma Velez, Career Navigator at HMI, says one of the biggest advantages is creating clear, manageable steps.
“It gives them a sort of step-by-step first initiation on their page and then follows up with coursework, which doesn’t overwhelm them because it starts slowly and then moves them along,” she explains. “It gives them all the resources they need, but it’s very clear and lays it out.”
The results from this approach have yielded thus far:
- 132 learners enrolled in Upwardly Global’s learning platform through the partnership
- 18 participants who have completed industry-specific pathways
- 35 learners who have earned in-demand certifications through upskilling and reskilling opportunities
Restoring Hope Through Access
Through every certification or completed course, confidence rises.
Tomma shared the story of a cybersecurity professional from Afghanistan who worried he would never be able to maintain his credentials in the U.S. When he learned that UpGlo’s courses and additional skilling certifications were available at no cost through the partnership, his outlook changed dramatically.
He has completed multiple certifications and moved from a survival job into a pathway where his employer is now actively supporting his transition into cybersecurity work.
For refugee healthcare professionals, access to healthcare pathways has also been transformative.
Tomma described working with an OB physician and trauma surgeon who initially arrived optimistic but later reached a difficult point emotionally as relicensing challenges became more apparent.
“There was a moment of, ‘I don’t see how we’re going to make it,’” she says. But completing prerequisite coursework and entering a Medical Assistant pathway, an UpGlo National Heathcare Association partnership, helped to change their mindset. “It definitely gave them a shift of hope.”
Building Community Alongside Careers
Looking ahead, HMI hopes to deepen peer connection by building stronger cohort experiences where refugee professionals can learn together, share resources, and motivate one another. This community-centered approach supports the emotional work that comes with career rebuilding, while also creating more opportunities for refugee professionals to reclaim careers, rebuild confidence, and move beyond survival jobs toward long-term growth.
“We have so many great people in this program,” Allison says. “They deserve to have access to UpGlo, to grow their career, and to have people on their side.”
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