Employ Prince George's Launches Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) Workforce Program To Connect Immigrant, Refugees, And English Language Learning Job Seekers To Careers

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LARGO, Md., May 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Employ Prince George's (EPG) is revolutionizing workforce development programs in the Maryland's Capital Region by bringing its acclaimed customized program design to immigrants, refugees, asylees and English language learners in Prince George's County, via the launch of it's Career Pathways for All (CPFA) Program. This development introduces a new diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) approach to economic development, while meeting the needs of the international talent pool in a local area. "The CPFA Program is an inclusive workforce development program designed to address and mitigate the barriers immigrants, refugees, asylees and English language learners, and those residing in those households, face when trying to achieve their piece of the American Dream," said Walter L. Simmons, President & CEO of Employ Prince George's. With free customized career counseling, occupational skills training/tuition assistance, and supportive services, connections to employment with local business, CPFA will provide a pathway for all Prince George's County residents to obtain livable wage careers. CPFA aims to break language and cultural barriers by bridging the gap and by developing relationships within Prince George's County's immigrant and immigrant servicing communities.

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According to the Maryland Department of Labor, 1 in 7 Marylanders were born in a country other than the United States, and more than half (51.2%) of Marylanders born in another country are U.S. citizens. In Prince George's County, MD 21.7% of residents were born outside of the country, with the ethnic composition consisting primarily of Hispanic/Latino, Asian, two or more races, and those marked as other. Employ Prince George's mission is to provide premier workforce development services and to contribute to the economic vitality of Prince George's County by providing a demand-driven system that delivers qualified workers to businesses and provides job seekers with opportunities for careers in high demand/high growth industries.

"When reviewing the data," states President & CEO, Walter L. Simmons, "we observed that even though a large percentage of immigrants were in low-paying jobs, a relatively small percentage of the people we served in our job centers were immigrants. Upon review, we realized that this huge population in Prince George's County does not visit our American Job Centers due to discomfort communicating with staff who do not speak their language, the perception that our programs were not suited for their needs, and a strong attachment to the community and a location familiar to them," states Simmons. To address this deficit, the Career Pathways For All Program will offer personalized career coaching, occupational skills training, evaluation of credentials obtained oversees, bi-lingual hiring events, language translation phone lines in every American Job Center in Prince George's County, and access to English remediation classes.

"The competitive edge that our Career Pathways for All Program will provide to Prince George's County's immigrant population will empower this community with the ability to compete for more rewarding jobs in their chosen specialization and careers," said President Walter L. Simmons. "A simple conversation with American Job Center Career Counselors can open a lot of doors. We're happy to now be able to provide hard working residents in Prince George's County the opportunity to earn a livable wage."

If you are interested in enrolling in the Career Pathways For All Program or if you like more information regarding Employ Prince George's services and offerings, please visit www.EmployPG.org/CPFA, call us at 301.618.8445, or email our staff at [email protected].

EMPLOY Prince George's (EPG) provides workforce intelligence and solutions for the job seeker and business. EPG's mission is to contribute to the economic vitality of Prince George's County by providing a demand-driven system that delivers qualified workers to business and provides job seekers with opportunities for careers in high demand/high growth industries.

For more information, please visit www.employpg.org.

SOURCE Employ Prince George's

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