Economic Empowerment

Building a Path to Success

LIRS believes that it is not enough to simply relocate refugees to a safe community; we are also committed to building an extended network of support that accompanies them along the path to becoming healthy, contributing members of society.

One important facet of this approach is building a strong economic foundation for new Americans.

From financial literacy training to employment basics and job interviewing strategies, the LIRS network provides refugees and migrants with the tools needed to become financially independent.

We also work with key community stakeholders to foster welcoming environments for refugees in the workplace.

Below are just a few of the initiatives we have put into place to promote economic empowerment of new Americans.

The U.S. Employers’ Guide to Hiring Refugees

LIRS has collaborated with the Tent Partnership for Refugees to develop the U.S. Employers’ Guide to Hiring Refugees. This guide, which targets job-providers, helps companies better understand the profiles of new Americans, the benefits of hiring refugees and migrants, and methods for overcoming cultural and language-based workplace challenges. Working in tandem with LIRS, businesses across the country have launched refugee-empowerment initiatives to support and migrant and refugee employees in America.

Refugee Youth Career Pathways

With funding from the Office of Refugee Resettlement and additional support from the Starbucks Foundation, LIRS launched the Refugee Youth Career Pathways program in 2018. Through this initiative, LIRS is helping refugees between the ages of 16-24 to pursue academic and workforce opportunities that lead to long-term professional employment. Because of their age group, refugees targeted by this program, often must work low-skilled jobs to support their families, while opportunities for them to start careers with long term potential are limited. This program is designed to propel refugee youth beyond these obstacles in order to establish a viable career path.

Refugee Technical Assistance Program

In partnership with International Rescue Committee (IRC), LIRS is working to provide the resources and training needed to appropriately address barriers that refugees may encounter while trying to access community-based services, education, employment, and specialized care. For years, LIRS has specialized in delivering technical assistance for employers, and will continue to do so through this important program.