Upwardly Global, a San Francisco-based NGO with offices in New York and Chicago, is an innovative approach to helping highly-educated refugees and asylees find meaningful employment through a unique series of corporate partnerships.  They have committed to assisting each of the Iraqis on the List who make it to the United States in navigating a new and complex job landscape.  In doing so, they will help these Iraqis integrate as thoroughly as possible, allowing them to harness their education and experience upon arriving to America.

 

They have already begun one-on-one assistance to dozens of Iraqis who have been referred by the List Project.
 

Background on Upwardly Global:
Upwardly Global is a nationally recognized entrepreneurial nonprofit that works to make the workforce in the US more global by harnessing the talents, experience and education of legal immigrants. Upwardly Global on both sides of the immigrant underemployment issue, by giving new legal immigrants training in the complexity and nuances of the American job search, and by helping major employers, like JPMorgan Chase, Deloitte, Google and others tap this hidden talent pool of seasoned, college-educated, work-authorized (Green Card) professionals. The result is true economic opportunity for new Americans and a stronger and more globally diverse American workforce for employers. To date the organization has helped more than 750 immigrant professionals from more than 94 developing countries to move from driving cabs, child care and cleaning hotel rooms, back into their original professional career fields at an average salary of $45,000.  Upwardly Global's work has directly increased the income of immigrant families by more than $7million by returning skilled professionals to their career field.

 

For Iraqi professionals on the SIV, Upwardly Global offers resume revision, advising and conference call workshops on job search topics including interviewing and networking.