Full Citation
Title: Upskilling the Immigrant Workforce to Meet Employer Demand for Skilled Workers
Citation Type: Miscellaneous
Publication Year: 2018
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Abstract: In communities across the country, many employers are having trouble finding enough skilled workers. They may be overlooking an untapped resource. A large share of immigrant workers are in lower-skilled jobs, however, with the right access to education and training they need to advance their careers, many have the potential to meet these labor force needs. Workforce development services could help them develop their skills, earn higher wages to support themselves and their families, and meet employer demand. Immigrants make up one out of six workers in the United States. They are an often overlooked but vital part of local economies and, therefore, should be a part of local workforce development strategies. Middle-skilled jobs are an avenue for many of these workers to get good jobs without needing a fouryear degree. And employers have expressed a need for workers with bilingual and cultural skills to serve an increasingly diverse public. Many cities and organizations are engaged in upskilling their immigrant workforce, though it is challenging to serve this population effectively, and there is not much systematic knowledge about the most effective way to address barriers and design training for this group. In this report, we examine the size and characteristics of the potentially untapped immigrant workforce and the barriers to and opportunities for education, training, and workforce services. We provide national and metropolitan-level statistics to . . .
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Authors: Bernstein, Hamutal; Vilter, Carolyn
Publisher: Urban Institute
Data Collections: IPUMS USA
Topics: Labor Force and Occupational Structure, Migration and Immigration, Other
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