Comprehensive Support for Immigrant Integration into the Skilled Workforce

Immigrant and refugee support

County of Los Angeles (select only if your project has a countywide benefit)

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

Organizations that support immigrant and refugee communities often focus on addressing immediate needs such as food, shelter, and safety. While essential, this overlooks the ongoing challenges individuals face after resettlement. Many have experienced significant trauma and must navigate linguistic, cultural, and systemic barriers that hinder professional advancement. Existing workforce interventions are often fragmented and fail to address these intersecting needs. Immigrants may receive job training without access to community mentorship or mental health support, both of which are critical for long-term success. Even those who have lived in the U.S. for years often lack access to established networks and career development pathways. To truly foster economic mobility, we must adopt a holistic, integrated approach to workforce development—one that brings together wraparound services through strategic partnerships to meet the complex, layered needs of this population.

Global Bridges will implement a two-pronged initiative to support immigrants and refugees in Los Angeles County in achieving social mobility.
Goal 1: Workforce Development
We will launch a targeted workforce development program focused on IT, a high-growth sector identified through market research. In partnership with LinkedLines, a trusted IT training provider, we will offer 6–12-month AWS Cloud certification training to 25 immigrant/refugee participants. The program includes one-on-one mentorship from culturally and linguistically aligned professionals and a four-week job readiness bootcamp. This builds on our successful national pilot that awarded 19 scholarships, resulting in gainful job placements.
Goal 2: Wraparound Support Services
To address the complex barriers to professional success, we will also offer integrated, holistic support through a network of partners, including ECC, APNET, African Coalition, Table for Ten, Kisanet Association, and local churches – description of these organizations is available upon request. We will host monthly hybrid workshops that will cover financial literacy, communication, leadership, and integration tools, alongside access to culturally appropriate mental health services and peer counseling.
We aim to serve at least 1,000 LA County residents and will culminate the grant period with a two-day symposium featuring panels, breakout sessions, and resource tables from partner organizations, serving individuals aged 18 and above.

Los Angeles County will benefit from the creation of two transformative resources: a Workforce Development Hub and a Partnership Hub. The Workforce Hub will provide targeted, in-demand career training—such as AWS Cloud certification—paired with culturally responsive mentorship, directly addressing barriers to employment for immigrants/refugees. While our initial program gained national attention, this localized pilot will bring those opportunities home to LA, equipping 25 residents with skills & support that lead to gainful employment & long-term self-sufficiency.
The Partnership Hub will foster a much-needed ecosystem of collaboration among organizations. Currently, many operate in silos, missing opportunities to share resources and amplify impact. By connecting these groups, we will build a sustainable, integrated support network that addresses the full spectrum of needs—professional, personal, and emotional—empowering thousands of individuals & strengthening the fabric of LA County.