Dr. Diya Abdo (Center for New North Carolinians) received new funding from the Women’s Professional Forum Foundation for the project “WOMEN: Women’s Opportunities for Mentorship and Empowerment Network.”
The WOMEN Initiative will build on the foundation of support, collaboration, and resilience of the Umoja Women Group (UWG) by offering technology tools, tutorials, and leadership development training to UWG members as well as other refugee women served by the CNNC Community Centers (which operate at three housing complexes with large refugee and immigrant populations). This project will provide UWG’s 35 members each with a tablet and provide monthly workshops to UWG members and others for a period of one year with a focus on communication and English language skills, technological and digital literacy, navigation of health and education systems, and leadership skills.
Abdo also received new funding from United Way of Greater Greensboro for the project “Helping Immigrants and Refugees with Employment (HIRE).”
HIRE consists of services provided by the Center for New North Carolinians (CNNC), New Arrivals Institute (NAI), Church World Service Greensboro (CWS) and Montagnard Dega Association (MDA).
Upon enrollment, all participants conduct a thorough intake that includes identifying past employment, educational history, and employment goals. Participants are then referred to an appropriate HIRE track based on goals. Tracks include: English Language Acquisition, Job Preparation, Career Advancement, and Vocational Training. In the English Language Acquisition track, participants complete an English Assessment and placed in the appropriate class level. With the exception of clients only in the first track, all other clients complete an Employment Accessibility Plan (EAP) in which participants identify employment goals and undergo vocational coaching and counseling. The Job Preparation track builds both ‘soft’ job skills, such as completing an application, learning job search techniques, practicing interviews, and understanding U.S. employment norms, and ‘harder’ skills needed for jobs available in the local market including sewing, manufacturing, housekeeping, poultry, packaging, etc. The Career Advancement track helps individuals improve their employment situation through direct career coaching and referrals including the N.C. Career Readiness Certificate. The Vocational Training track is for individuals looking to start a new career with required training (i.e. Pharmacy Technician, Certified Nursing Assistant, Forklift Operator, and Apartment Maintenance Technician).
