UTICA, N.Y. — The Center in Utica says it has just what some employers may have been seeking — a pool of people ready to work. Through its employment and workforce development, career pathway builder, and professional pathways programs, The Center, located at 201 Bleecker St., works with immigrant and refugee populations to help them […]
UTICA, N.Y. — The Center in Utica says it has just what some employers may have been seeking — a pool of people ready to work.
Through its employment and workforce development, career pathway builder, and professional pathways programs, The Center, located at 201 Bleecker St., works with immigrant and refugee populations to help them not only gain the skills they need for employment, but also to find that employment.
Some of that training includes covering basics of the work system in the United States, which can be different from those in other countries, according to Zaid Erzaij, employment manager at The Center. Other topics include English classes, computer skills, résumé writing, interview preparation, and workplace expectations.
The Center also works to overcome other obstacles including language barriers and transportation issues. The organization can provide employers with translators to help overcome language barriers. Transportation issues can be more difficult to overcome, Erzaij says, adding the organization tries to collaborate with employers to provide transportation. Many already do, with the expense worth the cost in order to have a dependable workforce, he adds.
For employers, The Center also provides a variety of training programs, including cultural-awareness training, to help employers successfully work with English-language learners.
“Our folks are a great workforce,” Shelly Callahan, executive director, says. “It’s definitely in the interest of employers to be open to our population.”
The Center logs more than 300 job placements annually and has ongoing relationships with over 80 employers. The retention rate for those placements is about 90 percent.
“We stay connected to the people, and we stay connected to the employer,” Callahan says. Knowing how costly it is to have a high turnover rate, The Center helps employers work through any issues with their new employees. One company had a 30 percent retention rate for new employees before it began working with The Center, she said. The retention rate is now more than 70 percent.
Through the professional pathways program, The Center also assists new residents with degrees and professional work experience to continue their career path in the U.S., says Dan Vellone, a job coach. The program, in partnership with the state’s Office for New Americans, helps immigrants and refugees find work in their respective fields.
Program offerings include job-search support, résumé and cover-letter development, interview practice, English skills, specialized job courses, training and certification opportunities, and connections to employers.
The goal is to prevent “brain waste,” Vellone says. “These people already made the investment in their education.” There’s no reason that someone trained as an engineer in their home country should have to work as anything other than an engineer in the U.S., he contends.
Since it opened in 1981, The Center has helped more than 16,500 refugees and immigrants call the Utica area home. They have come from more than 35 countries including Afghanistan, Ukraine, Myanmar, Congo, Somalia, Sudan, and Bhutan.