Upwardly Global Convenes Over 60 Corporations in August DEI Employer Working Group
On August 11th, 2022, Upwardly Global convened its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Employer Working Group, composed of over 60 corporations, to collaboratively forge solutions that best support the inclusion of immigrant and refugee talent in the U.S. workforce. As an organization that strives to make a serious difference for immigrant and refugee job seekers on both the employee and employer sides, Upwardly Global prides itself on its over 20 years of experience working with employers in their recruiting, programmatic, and diversity and inclusion efforts. To this end, the month of August represented an especially important milestone month for Upwardly Global as it marked the one year anniversary of our Afghan response efforts since the devastating fall of Kabul to the Taliban on August 15, 2021. Reflecting on and expanding these efforts was one of many pertinent through lines in this month’s DEI Employer Working Group.
For August’s session, Upwardly Global was proud to spotlight Linkedin (LI), who have recently put forward initiatives that are focused on creating economic opportunities for all members of the global workforce, with particular focus on immigrants and refugees. LI was a key player in developing an Afghan emergency response strategy, working towards distributing emergency grant funding, promoting giving opportunities for employee engagement, and offering additional pro bono resources. Alongside Upwardly Global, LI also hosts 10 coaching workshops per year, helping 600 immigrants and refugees through services including job coaching, profile building, and mock interviews. Responding to the war in Ukraine, LI also announced annual giving commitments to organizations working to develop refugee relief funds and hiring opportunities for Ukrainian refugees.
Upwardly Global will continue to operationalize our direct service programming for the 1,400+ Afghan newcomers we’ve brought on board in our program, hundreds of them ready to join the U.S. workforce. Specifically, we look forward to advancing employer partnerships, and continuing to invest in thought leadership and advocacy for workforce integration at local, regional, and national levels. According to a recent report from Upwardly Global, Afghan refugee program participants have been placed in jobs on average within 136 days, earning an average of $63,000/year. Additionally, Upwardly Global has logged 6,000+ user sessions on our public portal of job readiness resources adapted for Afghans. To foster these efforts, Upwardly Global is continuing to endorse the Afghan Adjustment Act (AAA), which, if passed, would push for more benefits for this population, better access to traditional refugee benefits, and permanent status for many Afghans, including those who are already employed in the U.S. For more information, check out our Action Guide for Employers, Afghan Response.
Get Involved
- If you are a DEI/HR/TA/CSR professional interested in joining the Working Group to join a movement of businesses working to move the mark on inclusive practices.
- If you are interested in providing feedback for our employer-led platform development.
- If you are an employer in the airline industry and interested in supporting Afghan pilots.
Please contact Kim Cohen, Director of Employer Engagement, at kim@upwardlyglobal.org.
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Upwardly Global is a national nonprofit with the mission to eliminate employment barriers for immigrant and refugee professionals and advance the inclusion of their skills into the U.S. economy. With offices in San Francisco, New York City, Chicago, and Washington, D.C., Upwardly Global is a leader in skilled workforce development and placement. Learn more at upwardlyglobal.org.