Articulate Communications Supports Upwardly Global's Mission to Increase Immigrant Inclusion into the American Workplace
June 24, 2008 · New York and San Francisco · Articulate Communications Inc., a firm that helps technology and business services companies achieve their corporate goals through results-oriented, targeted strategic communications, today confirmed its commitment to support immigrant inclusion into the American workforce by providing pro bono training services for the jobseekers of Upwardly Global, a nonprofit organization that brings highly qualified, fully work authorized immigrants and highly progressive employers together.
"Immigrant professionals represent a huge pool of untapped human capital," said Laura Grimmer, president and CEO, Articulate Communications. "They bring education, experience, skills and an eagerness to contribute to their new country. With a projected shortfall of 10 million skilled workers by 2010, this new group serves as an excellent resource for U.S. employers seeking talents. And I know that it is not only the public relations and advertising industry that is hungry for diversity."
To support Upwardly Global's mission, Articulate Communications has created a training program specifically tailored to help Upwardly Global's marketing and public relations jobseekers navigate the tricky world of finding and securing positions at U.S. marketing and advertising firms and in-house positions.
Grimmer points out that when it comes to hiring, U.S. employers tend to rely on word-of-mouth and referrals from current employees, which may hinder the progress of multiculturalism and immigrant inclusion into American workplace.
"If we truly want to offer culturally relevant services to global clients, immigrant professionals are a valuable resource," said Grimmer.
Isio Della Igbodudu is a native of Nigeria with more than six years of consumer marketing experience. Igbodudu was one of Upwardly Global's jobseekers recently hired by JPMorgan Chase as a personal banker. She attributed her new position to her training by Articulate Communications.
"The training helped me understand the challenges that I faced during my job search and identify solutions to overcome them," said Igbodudu. "In particular, I found the role-play interview was most beneficial for me, because I was able to get direct feedback about my verbal and non-verbal language skills, which made me better prepared for job interviews."
Upwardly Global aims to start including immigrant professionals into company internship programs, helping to open a career path to full-time positions. The organization urges forward-thinking companies to consider creating internship opportunities for these talented immigrants because their international experience and foreign language abilities are a tremendous asset to the American workforce.
Upwardly Global jobseekers hold a minimum of bachelor's degree; almost 50 percent have earned a master's, professional or doctorate degree; and they have an average of nearly seven years of professional experience. Since its inception in 2000, Upwardly Global has coached more than 1,000 jobseekers from more than 94 developing countries and established ongoing relationships with more than 70 employers, including JPMorgan Chase, Deloitte Consulting, Pepsi Bottling Group, Sovereign Bank, Housing Works and Seedco.
"With the shortfall of qualified workers, employers must take the initiative to find ways to integrate new candidates into the U.S. workforce," said Nikki Cicerani, managing director, Upwardly Global. "Whether it's through diversity-based hiring or internship programs, or even volunteering to assist jobseekers in other industries, American companies have an untapped resource here at their fingertips."
About Upwardly Global
Upwardly Global is a national nonprofit organization with offices in San Francisco and New York. Jane Leu founded Upwardly Global in 2000 to equip immigrant professionals with necessary skills to rebuild their career in the U.S. and help U.S. employers benefit from the hidden pool of immigrant professionals. To date, the organization has served more than 1,000 professionals from more than 94 different developing countries. For further information about the organization, please visit www.upwardlyglobal.org.
About Articulate Communications Inc.
Articulate Communications Inc. helps technology and business services companies achieve their corporate objectives through results-oriented, message-based communications. With this focus, Articulate has built better relationships with the media and industry influencers who impact buying, selling and investment decisions. The firm's PR professionals collaborate with clients to determine program success metrics and work hard to be a trusted extension of their teams. Smart, experienced and results-driven, an Articulate team creates and executes proactive, creative PR programs that build credibility and help clients achieve their bottom-line objectives.
Megan Garnett
Articulate Communications Inc.
212.255.0080, ext. 14
mgarnett@articulatecomms.com
Debbie Wibowo
Upwardly Global
212.219.8828
debbie@upwardlyglobal.org