Career Fair Focuses on Highly Skilled Immigrants and Refugees

In the United States, two million skilled immigrants and refugees currently face under-employment or unemployment. In partnership with Upwardly Global, the Bay Area Council this week (Oct. 10) held a career fair connecting highly skilled immigrants and refugees with backgrounds in business operations and engineering to major employers in the Bay Area. The strategic hiring event was the last in series of 2018 Inclusive Economy Career Fairs facilitated by the Council’s Workforce of the Future initiative, which focuses on expanding workforce opportunity for underrepresented populations who experience barriers to employment.

Hosted by member company Wells Fargo, the event began with an educational session for employers to learn more about the vast array of backgrounds many immigrants and refugees have. An employer panel featuring Patty Dingle, Senior Director of Diversity and Inclusion at VISA, Daryl Graves, Diversity Talent Acquisition Evangelist at Workday, and Jason Schwartz, Senior Director at TetraTech, further highlighted what these companies are doing in the diversity and inclusion spaces.

The career fair that followed connected 50 highly qualified candidates with 14 employers—including Bay Area Council members Alaska Airlines, Chariot, San Francisco International Airport, VISA, and Wells Fargo. To engage in the Council’s Workforce of the Future initiative, please contact Senior Vice President Linda Bidrossian.