LCS grows services with employment support in Tacoma and Vancouver
LCSNW is helping refugees and other immigrants find work— more than two dozen, so far — in a new program operated by our Multicultural Community Services District (MCS). It is available to people living near Tacoma (Pierce and King counties) and in Vancouver (Clark County).
“That we are now offering these services is great news because our clients, and immigrants in general, want to work and support their families,” said Daryl Morrissey, Director for Refugee Resettlement. Daryl oversees MCS Refugee Resettlement teams in Tacoma, Vancouver and Portland.
“Resettling after fleeing your home country can be overwhelming. On top of that, English often isn’t their first language, and the combination makes finding work a huge challenge,” Daryl added. Collectively, our employment team speaks Dari, Pashto, Hindi, Urdu, Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian, and Albanian in addition to English. Through access to interpreters, they can support clients who speak almost any language.
The program, known as Limited English Proficiency (LEP) Pathways, is paid for by a grant from Washington state’s Office of Refugee and Immigrant Assistance (ORIA). The program is for people who’ve been in the U.S. for five years or less and are learning English.
The grant covers the cost of two full-time LCSNWemployment specialists and manager Ellie Dawson. “We can help our clients look for work through every stage – starting with coming up with a budget so they know how much they need to earn, helping them build a resume, coaching them in advance of interviews, providing interpretation and even assistance with transportation,” Ellie said. “Once they’ve been hired, we are accessible for 90 days to provide coaching and any support needed as a new-hire.”
LCSNW staff are also available to support employers through the process.
They began working with clients in January and have helped 26 people with job searches, so far. Clients are landing jobs in retail, hospitality, and non-profit work. The team wants to improve the lives of immigrant families while contributing to an overall positive economic impact.
A recent federal report shows refugees and asylees generate national financial benefits that far outweigh the economic support they receive. For instance, from 2005 through 2019, the economic activity of this population delivered a net fiscal benefit to the federal government of about $31.5 billion and approximately $92.3 billion to state and local governments. A report released by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services provides additional details.
So far, there’s no shortage of job opportunities and our team continues to build relationships with local employers. If you know of an employer who could make a good partner, please contact Ellie at [email protected].
