Grant will support expansion of women-specific job search training
New York, Nov. 1, 2016—The Walmart Foundation has granted $250,000 to Upwardly Global (UpGlo) to develop specialized programming that will help the organization equip 750 highly skilled immigrant women with the practical skills and support to secure professional jobs in the U.S.
The Walmart Foundation’s grant supports the creation of an innovative learning portal and virtual community specifically for immigrant and refugee women professionals. The Work Opportunities for Women (WOW) Network will enable users to access job search advice, connect with mentors and volunteers, and access workshops for women on salary negotiation, confronting sexual harassment, speaking with confidence, and other topics.
Upwardly Global’s Online Employment Training Program helps skilled immigrants and refugees rebuild their professional careers through access to free interactive trainings on job search skills, resume writing, interviewing and networking. UpGlo is in the process of expanding its training platform with industry-specific technical trainings and community forums that allow learners to connect with one another, ask questions, request support, and identify opportunities for professional growth.
One in four foreign-educated immigrants are currently unemployed or underemployed, and women face additional barriers in regaining their professional careers, such as accessing affordable healthcare and childcare, sexual and pay discrimination, and cultural differences that may discourage them from interviewing with confidence and advancing into leadership roles. As of 2010, more than 30 percent of high-skilled female immigrants in the United States were employed in occupations that did not match their level of education, according to a World Bank report.
“In the Walmart Foundation we have found a vital supporter whose commitment to advancing women in the workforce will enable us to expand our services nationwide, and empower hundreds of immigrant women professionals to achieve economic security and become leaders in their workplaces and communities,” said Nikki Cicerani, President and CEO, Upwardly Global.
“Helping new Americans integrate into the U.S. economy and culture is work that the Walmart Foundation is proud to support,” said Carol May, Program Manager of the Walmart Foundation. “This grant will help women immigrants build upon their talents and learn new skills to help them succeed in the workplace and provide a stronger future for them and their families.”
Upwardly Global has previously delivered women-centric programming through in-person career summits, and has helped more than 1,800 women secure professional jobs since 2000. The WOW Network will be available to all of the organization’s female alumnae, as well as current and incoming clients. The organization anticipates that 360 female participants will secure jobs within the first year of the Network’s launch, creating economic security for families and generating more than $10 million in additional, taxable income in the first year of employment.
About Upwardly Global
Upwardly Global, founded in 2000, is the leading nonprofit organization in the U.S. helping work-authorized, skilled immigrants and refugees rebuild their professional careers by providing job search training and connecting them with employers seeking to develop a pipeline of global talent. To date, the organization has trained more than 8,000 foreign-educated immigrants and has assisted over 3,800 individuals back into their career fields.