[RefugeeWorks] RefugeeWorks E-News - March 2008 (Vol. 1, Issue 3)

Wed Mar 26 11:15:17 EDT 2008

REFUGEE WORKS

E-NEWSLETTER

March 2008 (Vol. 1, Issue 3)

REFUGEE WORKS ADVISORY BOARD 2008

We're pleased to announce the selection of the new members for the 2008
RefugeeWorks Advisory Board.

ADVISORY BOARD

* Chris Cavanaugh, Sub-Office Director, Lutheran Social Services of
Michigan, Grand Rapids, Michigan

* Alfredo Fuentes, Job Counselor, Catholic Family Center Staffing
Solutions, Rochester, NY

* Susan Gundlach, Director for Community Integration, Lutheran
Immigration and Refugee Services, Baltimore, MD

* Spogmai Hashmi, Job Specialist Supervisor, International Institute of
St. Louis, St. Louis, MO

* Alejandra Holway-Behrends, Employment Services Coordinator, Integrated
Refugee & Immigration Services, New Haven, CT

* Ryan Hite, Employment Services, Catholic Charities-MRS, Louisville, KY

* Dan Imbody, Job Developer, World Relief, Wheaton, IL

* Faith Lamb, Program Coordinator, Catholic Charities, Diocese of Ft. 

Worth, Inc. Immigration & Refugee Services, Fort Worth, TX 

* Zarifa Rasool, Career Specialist, KentuckianaWorks One Stop Career
Center, Louisville, KY

* Zach Tennant, Employment Specialist, Exodus Refugee & Immigration,
Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana 

GOVERNMENT LIAISON

* Laura Barker, Contract Program Analyst, Office of Refugee
Resettlement, Washington, DC

* Laura Garcia, Sr. Functional Analyst/Contractor, HHS/Office of Refugee
Resettlement, DOL/Employment &  Training Administration, Washington, DC

* Miki Kim, Program Analyst, HHS/Office of Refugee Resettlement,
DOL/Employment & Training Administration, Washington, DC

PRINT NEWSLETTER

RefugeeWorks publishes a quarterly newsletter in print. The first issue
of 2008 is out. Contact us for a free subscription!
(dsturm at refugeeworks.org)

Issue #24: Iraqi Refugees in Focus

http://www.refugeeworks.org/downloads/rwnews_24.pdf

Table of Contents:

* A Difficult Adjustment: Iraqi Refugees in Detroit, Field Report

- Language

- Financial situation

- Transportation

- Recertification

- Peer Networks

- Establishing a Career Counseling Pilot Project

* Iraqi Refugee Employment Survey

* Consultant's Corner: Jonathan Lucus

Please contact us to order a free subscription.

CURRENT RESEARCH

* Questions from part one of the RefugeeWorks Iraqi refugee employment
survey were published in the issue #24 of the Employment Quarterly.
Please share the survey with colleagues and send it in by July 15, 2008,
if you haven't already done so. We're curious to hear how your Iraqi
clients are adjusting.

Survey link: http://tinyurl.com/36v53l

* We are researching best practices on the issue of re-certification.
Sign up for one of our upcoming workshops in Texas, Indiana and New
Hampshire to join the discussion on "reclaiming careers."  Also, check
out ORR's new fact sheets on re-licensing refugee professionals, at:

http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/orr/resources

RESEARCH QUESTION OF THE MONTH

More than 20 states currently have pending legislation that would make
Basic Pilot/E-Verify mandatory for some or all employers. Have any of
your clients had problems with this new system? If so, we'd like to hear
from you. Thanks!

Do you have news items, stories or pictures that relate to refugees in
the workplace? If you'd like to submit them for publication in an
upcoming newsletter, contact Daniel at dsturm at refugeeworks.org

EMPLOYMENT TRAINING INSTITUTES

RefugeeWorks trainings are specifically tailored for front-line
employment staff from refugee resettlement and mutual assistance
agencies. Each of our two-day trainings will highlight a special topic
and cover a range of themes (such as vocational training, new
populations, financial literacy and career upgrading.)

http://refugeeworks.org/about/training.html

* Fort Worth, Texas

Focus: Engaging Employers

April 15-16, 2008

Host: Catholic Charities of Fort Worth

Since 1980 refugee service providers have amassed a wealth of knowledge
on how to entice employers to hire refugees. Over the course of this
two-day workshop, we will explore some of the tactics that have worked
best, and will brainstorm solutions for the future. Come and participate
in exciting expert panels and discuss best job development practices
with employers, refugees, employment specialists and scholars.

* Indianapolis, Indiana

Focus: Recertification & New Populations

June 17-18, 2008

Host: Exodus Refugee and Immigration, Inc

Recertification allows refugees with university degrees and professional
training to remain in their chosen career fields. And job upgrading can
lift refugees out of entry-level employment and increase their income
level and self-sufficiency. In this training, you will hear success
stories from refugees who have reclaimed their careers or built new ones
and meet recertification specialists. You will also learn more about new
refugee populations and hear about RefugeeWorks' Iraqi Refugee
Employment Survey findings.

* Manchester, New Hampshire

Focus: Employment Strategies from A-Z 

August 19-20, 2008

Host: International Institute of New Hampshire

This workshop is designed to bring experienced refugee employment
professionals together with newcomers in the field, enabling both sides
to learn from each other. Attend this training and learn the essential
skills of an effective workforce development specialist. Seasoned
professionals will be encouraged to share their secrets of success with
new colleagues from across the country. Topics will include marketing,
career upgrading, employment obstacles and more.

To register for an upcoming institute, download a registration form, at:

http://www.refugeeworks.org/downloads/ETIRegistration2008.pdf

BOOKS, REPORTS & OTHER RESOURCES

IRAQI REFUGEE RESOURCES

* Assessment on Psychosocial Needs of Iraqis Displaced in Jordan and
Lebanon (International Organization for Migration, 2008)

http://tinyurl.com/2kk6n8

* Iraqi refugee population Curriculum for Service Providers 2008 (The
Center for Victims of Torture, 2008)

http://tinyurl.com/37oua5

* Farah, an Iraqi Mother (BRYCS Parenting Conversations, 2008)

http://www.brycs.org/IraqiMother_Interview.htm

OVERCOMING OBSTACLES

* 2008 Earned Income Credit Kit in 19 languages (Center on Budget and
Policy Priorities, 2008)

http://www.cbpp.org/eic2008/
* Pursuit of the Dream: Cars & Jobs in America (Annie E. Casey
Foundation, 2008)

http://tinyurl.com/2baxez
* Can Escaping from Poor Neighborhoods Increase Employment and Earnings?
Urban Institute, 2008)

http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/411640_employment_earning.pdf

LEGAL ISSUES

* DHS Basic Pilot /E-Verify Program, Basic Information Brief (National
Immigration Law Center, 2008)

http://tinyurl.com/2n899s

* Compliance Issues Put Recruiters on the Hot Seat (Workforce
management, February 2008)

http://www.workforce.com/section/06/feature/25/36/79/

* I Can End Deportation (ICED) Video Game (Breakthrough - USA/India,
2008)

Designed to spark dialogue and create awareness of unfair U.S.
immigration policies, ICED teaches players about current immigration
laws on detention and deportation that affect legal permanent residents,
asylum seekers, students and undocumented people. 

http://icedgame.com

INDUSTRY & WORKFORCE TRENDS

* Inside Workforce3 One: Innovations for the Health Care Industry (U.S.
Department of Labor & US Department of Education)

http://www.careervoyages.gov/healthcare-main.cfm

* Manpower Employment Outlook Survey (Manpower USA, 2008)

http://tinyurl.com/35bjre

* Refugee Resettlement in Metropolitan America (Brookings Institute,
2007)

http://tinyurl.com/2n74ml

CONTACT US

Please visit our web site at http://www.refugeeworks.org

RefugeeWorks is the U.S. Office of Refugee Resettlement's training and
technical assistance arm for employment and self-sufficiency activities.
Submit newsletter contributions to dsturm at refugeeworks.org

Would you like to hear about new RefugeeWorks resources and Web site
features each month? To sign up for the RefugeeWorks E-Newsletter, visit
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http://lists.lirs.org/mailman/listinfo/refugeeworks

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REFUGEEWORKS

700 Light Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21230

Phone 410/230-2758

Fax: 410/230-2859

The National Center for Refugee Employment & Self-Sufficiency

A Program of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service

Email: dsturm at refugeeworks.org

Visit: http://www.refugeeworks.org

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