Upwardly Global's mission is to eliminate employment barriers for skilled immigrants and refugees, and integrate this population into the professional U.S. workforce. A growing share of new arrivals to the U.S are highly skilled. Almost half of immigrants entering the U.S. between 2011 and 2015 had at least a bachelor's degree. However, nearly two million immigrants with college degrees—or one out of every four—are unemployed or working well below their skill level. The Migration Policy Institute call this loss of talent "brain waste" and it results in skilled immigrants missing out on more than $39 billion in wages annually, and governments losing out on $10 billion in tax payments. Upwardly Global helps immigrant, refugee, and asylee professionals find jobs in their career fields. To date, over 5,000 immigrants from more than 100 countries have secured professional jobs To qualify for Upwardly Global's program, candidates must have:
Already working in their career field here in the US
In the US for over five years
History
Beginnings
Upwardly Global was started by Jane Leu in 1999 in San Francisco. After having worked extensively with immigrants, asylees, and refugees, Jane perceived a need for programs targeting educated, experienced immigrants in particular. Newspapers have described cases of underemployed immigrant professionals—lawyers working as gas station attendants, doctors as doormen—as the "American classic." Multiple organizations exist to assist immigrant job-seekers, but few have the resources required to assist those with professional-level backgrounds. Upwardly Global is unique in the United States as an organization that specializes in matching qualified immigrants with high-skill positions. Jane began working with such immigrants part-time, unpaid, from her own kitchen. In 2000, the organization received its first official grant from the Three Guineas Fund. In the next few years, the list of donors expanded to include the Levi Strauss Foundation, the Draper Richards Foundation, and various private donors. Nikki Cicerani served as the organization's President and CEO from 2009-2018, leading the organization's expansion from two metropolitan areas to four, and launching online, virtual services. She currently serves on the organization's Board of Directors.
Submission of resumes to relevant employer partners
These programs and activities address what Upwardly Global considers a four-fold challenge for immigrant professionals:
Employer network
Upwardly Global has partnerships with such companies as Accenture, Google, Wells Fargo, , , . Upwardly Global's strategy for interaction with employer partners follows a basic three-level process: 1. Education Through training, Upwardly Global works with HR professionals to expand cross-cultural hiring practices. 2. Engagement Employees of partner companies are invited to volunteer for Upwardly Global, individually or in groups. This important step increases awareness about immigrant professional potential and creates "internal advocates for global diversity." 3. Employment The final component is the intersection of needs and goals between the jobseekers and companies. Upwardly Global functions similarly to a recruiter by steering qualified and interested candidates towards open positions in employer partner companies.
