Upwardly Global

Upwardly Global’s mission is to eliminate employment barriers for immigrant and refugee professionals while advancing the inclusion of their skills into the U.S. economy. Upwardly Global has supported nearly 11,000 immigrants and refugees in securing professional roles, adding $600 million to the economy each year.

The Problem
Newcomers to the U.S. are more educated than at any other time in our history: 45% of recently arrived immigrants have at least a bachelor’s degree. We are also seeing record levels of forcible displacement and voluntary migration, including large communities of Ukrainians, Afghans, and individuals from Latin America who are seeking opportunities in the U.S. and bring much-needed skills, education and professional experience. Yet, more than 2 million immigrants and refugees who have degrees and professional work experience from their home countries face systemic barriers that leave them unemployed or working in low-wage jobs that do not fully leverage their skills and education. This is true even as immigrants and their children account for 100% of the growth of the U.S. working-age population and as our labor market is seeing widening shortages of qualified workers across industries. Upwardly Global is the longest-serving national organization focused on ensuring that immigrant and refugee professionals can prepare for and access skill-aligned employment, enabling their vital contributions to our workforce, economy, and local communities.

The Solution
Upwardly Global is the first organization to work directly with immigrant and refugee professionals to dismantle the barriers to finding skill-appropriate employment. Historically, the cornerstones of service to job seekers within the program have been individualized coaching and job readiness training. The program has evolved in line with workforce trends, including the introduction of re/upskilling opportunities that equip the immigrant and refugee populations with value-add certifications and credentials. Upwardly Global leverages labor market data to prepare job seekers for roles in industries with the highest growth, including technology, healthcare, engineering, finance, and business. Most recently, Upwardly Global led a national effort to connect Afghan evacuees to meaningful employment opportunities, as well as offering critical support to Ukrainian new arrivals fleeing the war in their home country.

In addition to direct programming with job seekers, Upwardly Global works with the stakeholders who serve and hire immigrant and refugee professionals to cultivate informed, culturally competent champions of workforce inclusion. They have robust partnerships with dozens of employers spanning in size and sector to create direct pathways to employment for their population. They also facilitate corporate access to a diverse, skilled talent pipeline while supporting employers to reach ambitious DEI goals. This includes engaging thousands of corporate volunteers annually to serve as mentors and connectors for job seekers while building their knowledge around and understanding of employment barriers faced by immigrants and refugees. Through Upwardly Global’s Partnerships initiative, their tools and expertise are scaled to serve providers across the U.S., creating a supportive ecosystem through capacity-building with community colleges, refugee resettlement agencies, and workforce development organizations.