Many college-educated immigrants are working in low-skilled jobs or are unemployed, leading to a phenomenon known as “brain waste.” The United States, with its strong economy, renowned universities, and reputation for entrepreneurship and innovation, has long attracted some of the world’s best and brightest.

This comprehensive guide provides concrete actions educators can take after the 2016 national election.

To help expand immigrants’ access to skill-building and career-advancement opportunities, one approach is the formation of partnerships between immigrant-serving organizations — such as worker centers and community-based organizations — and community colleges.

“Building Community Partnerships to Serve Immigrant Workers” (BCPIW), an initiative of the National Council for Workforce Education, was designed to replicate and expand effective community college/worker center/community-based organization partnerships to address the workforce development needs of immigrants and immigrant workers.

This AspenWSI research report seeks to better understand how organizations in the workforce development and immigrant-serving fields currently intersect and how they could further partner to improve policies and practices for connecting immigrants to skill-building and career advancement opportunities.

Creating opportunities for immigrants to build their skills and meet the demand for middle-skill jobs is a process that can be undertaken by a variety of actors, including workforce development agencies, adult education providers, postsecondary institutions, and immigrant advocacy organizations.

This practical guide provides concise, clear advice on how to best support students who might be eligible for, or have already obtained, DACA status. 

This report highlights strategies and recommendations that promote the ability of people who are limited English proficient (LEP), and the ability of native English speakers, to reach their full career potential in a bilingual workforce.

This 2015 guide for funders recommends three avenues for supporting immigrant workforce education initiatives: augment direct service programs, further develop effective programs, and implement and sustain insightful policy. 

Immigrants make up nearly half of New York City’s labor force but face significant challenges when it comes to accessing decent paying jobs and connecting to city-sponsored workforce development programs.