Bridging Language and Work: Solutions to Invest in Immigrant and Refugee Talent

Finding, retaining, and developing talent is a top priority for business leaders today. Refugees and immigrants represent an incredible pool of talent that can fill worker shortages and enhance diversity. Yet, many employers overlook candidates due to perceptions that workers cannot succeed in a role if they have limited proficiency in the local language. Bridging Language and Work: Solutions to Invest in Immigrant and Refugee Talent outlines how companies can implement solutions to overcome language barriers to help local language learners get into jobs faster as they work towards proficiency. The guide provides key information for corporate employers, as well as local governments and NGOs that collaborate with corporate employers, including:

• A framework for companies on the ways in which they can invest in local language learners beyond expanding access to language training.
• Specific solutions that can be implemented across the talent management cycle to help local language learners succeed.
• The business benefits of hiring local language learners.
• A list of resources that companies can tap into to support local language learners.

This guide is a collaboration between the Tent Partnership for Refugees and JFF (Jobs for the Future).

Welcoming America shared insights and examples from the Welcoming Network and the Welcoming International Alliance with the report authors to inform the content.