Building Employer Partnerships to Support Low English Proficiency Job Seekers
Job seekers with limited English proficiency (LEP), including those eligible for ORR services, often encounter systemic barriers to accessing meaningful employment. Challenges such as language ability, limited transportation options, and the absence of professional networks can make the job search especially difficult. Strategic partnerships with local employers play a critical role in expanding access to viable job opportunities, but they require intentional outreach and a clear understanding of employer needs.
This webinar will equip you with practical strategies for identifying and engaging with potential employer partners, articulating the value of hiring motivated LEP newcomers, and aligning job placements with clients’ skills and career goals. We will also explore how to leverage existing resources—such as local Workforce Development Boards, community colleges, and community-based organizations that offer English as a second language (ESL) classes and vocational training—to strengthen the link between employers and LEP job seekers.
Finally, we’ll review best practices for maintaining long-term employer partnerships through consistent communication, proactive problem-solving, and ongoing support, ensuring high-quality, sustainable job placement for LEP clients.
This webinar is geared toward employment specialists, job developers, caseworkers, and other economic empowerment team members tasked with developing job opportunities for ORR-eligible populations and maintaining relationships with employer partners.
After participating in this 90-minute session, you will be able to:
- Describe the critical role of strategic employer partnerships in expanding job opportunities for LEP job seekers, particularly within ORR-eligible populations
- Identify mutual benefits for employers and LEP newcomers, and key considerations for building and sustaining effective hiring partnerships
- Apply best-practice job development strategies that prioritize language-accessible roles, align with client skills and goals, and promote long-term employment success
- Recognize, and implement strategies to overcome, common challenges in engaging and retaining employer partners willing to hire LEP job seekers
Yana Mann is a Program Officer with the International Rescue Committee’s Technical Unit, where she supports economic empowerment programs across the IRC network. She has spent the past seven years advancing workforce development efforts in Sacramento, CA, helping refugees and immigrants access career pathways and achieve economic stability. In her current role, she also supports national economic empowerment projects through Switchboard, providing technical assistance to strengthen service delivery for refugee-serving organizations. Yana is deeply committed to supporting refugee communities and believes in creating opportunities that allow individuals to rebuild their lives with dignity and purpose.
Building Employer Partnerships to Support Low English Proficiency Job Seekers
Job seekers with limited English proficiency (LEP), including those eligible for ORR services, often encounter systemic barriers to accessing meaningful employment. Challenges such as language ability, limited transportation options, and the absence of professional networks can make the job search especially difficult. Strategic partnerships with local employers play a critical role in expanding access to viable job opportunities, but they require intentional outreach and a clear understanding of employer needs.
This webinar will equip you with practical strategies for identifying and engaging with potential employer partners, articulating the value of hiring motivated LEP newcomers, and aligning job placements with clients’ skills and career goals. We will also explore how to leverage existing resources—such as local Workforce Development Boards, community colleges, and community-based organizations that offer English as a second language (ESL) classes and vocational training—to strengthen the link between employers and LEP job seekers.
Finally, we’ll review best practices for maintaining long-term employer partnerships through consistent communication, proactive problem-solving, and ongoing support, ensuring high-quality, sustainable job placement for LEP clients.
This webinar is geared toward employment specialists, job developers, caseworkers, and other economic empowerment team members tasked with developing job opportunities for ORR-eligible populations and maintaining relationships with employer partners.
After participating in this 90-minute session, you will be able to:
- Describe the critical role of strategic employer partnerships in expanding job opportunities for LEP job seekers, particularly within ORR-eligible populations
- Identify mutual benefits for employers and LEP newcomers, and key considerations for building and sustaining effective hiring partnerships
- Apply best-practice job development strategies that prioritize language-accessible roles, align with client skills and goals, and promote long-term employment success
- Recognize, and implement strategies to overcome, common challenges in engaging and retaining employer partners willing to hire LEP job seekers
Yana Mann is a Program Officer with the International Rescue Committee’s Technical Unit, where she supports economic empowerment programs across the IRC network. She has spent the past seven years advancing workforce development efforts in Sacramento, CA, helping refugees and immigrants access career pathways and achieve economic stability. In her current role, she also supports national economic empowerment projects through Switchboard, providing technical assistance to strengthen service delivery for refugee-serving organizations. Yana is deeply committed to supporting refugee communities and believes in creating opportunities that allow individuals to rebuild their lives with dignity and purpose.