Announcement
Today, over 120 million people and counting have been forcibly displaced from their homes, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). As families who have had their lives upended resettle in new communities across the globe, finding employment is one of the most pivotal steps in rebuilding their lives and giving back.
The IRC and the American Express Foundation have partnered to create the Workforce Integration for Newcomers (WIN) program, an initiative focused on providing people with the skills and pathways they need to prepare for their new life in host communities and achieve long-term success at work. Since December 2022, the WIN program has reached more than 900 people directly through job readiness training, 1:1 coaching, career counselling and more. An estimated additional 100,000 people worldwide have experienced the program’s impact, including the families of the individuals who received the training, community members benefiting from the IRC’s partnership with local employment agencies and labor offices that enhanced their capacity to serve clients more effectively.
“Support from the private sector is fundamental to ensure that crisis and conflict do not prevent people around the world from not only surviving but thriving. The IRC is thankful to American Express, whose continued support enables us in turn to support the workforce and leaders of tomorrow to kick-start their futures,” said David Miliband, President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee
“I am proud of what the WIN program has accomplished, with our support. Inspiring stories like Yuliia’s are an example of what is possible when individuals access pathways to success.” said Madge Thomas, President of the American Express Foundation and Head of Corporate Sustainability at American Express. “The IRC’s focus on shared humanity is core to our Backing Equal Futures work and we look forward to supporting more individuals around the world to access economic opportunity through this partnership.”
With $2 million in funding from the American Express Foundation, WIN is a two-year program that is running across five countries – the United States, Germany, Italy, Poland, and the United Kingdom. The WIN program provides gives program participants access to career counselling and job-readiness training whilst simultaneously focusing on shaping public workforce systems to better serve these jobseekers.
Through data shared by WIN participants, the program has compiled key insights on the milestones that it has achieved to date, including:
- 33% of participants already achieving a significant career or educational milestone
- 82 employers engaged in industries including hospitality, warehousing and logistics, financial services, and IT
- Nearly 300 employees of local public employment centers trained to increase their effectiveness in serving immigrant jobseekers
- More than half of those reached identify as female and nearly two-thirds are between the ages of 25 and 45 years old—prime years to enter and thrive in the labor market.
An IRC program participant, Yuliia, represents how life-changing the WIN program can be. When Yuliia chose what to study in Ukraine, she landed on dentistry after combining her two passions: science and crafting. Once she qualified, Yuliia spent 15 years working as a dentist and then seven years as an orthodontist in Ukraine.
Once Yuliia arrived with her family in their new home, San Diego, she received support from the IRC, backed by American Express's funding for the WIN project. Through the program, Yuliia was able to go back to school and begin retraining as a dentist in the US. Today, Yuliia now practices as a registered dental assistant and hopes to continue her studies so that she can become a dentist again.