The Role of the Immigrant Worker
I recently found some interesting research done by the Migration Policy Institute regarding the role of immigrants in our workforce. Here’s the research they’ve done:
“Immigrant-origin workers—that is, immigrants and their U.S.-born children—have been the main drivers of U.S. workforce growth in recent years. They were responsible for 83 percent of labor force growth between 2010 and 2018, at which point they comprised 28 percent of all U.S. workers. And projections suggest that through 2035, all growth in the working-age population will come from immigrant-origin adults.” (Navigating the Future of Work)
This bit of research resonates with what I’ve been seeing play out in the workforce locally. As companies have struggled to fill open positions, it has been the immigrant population that is available to fill those positions. However, many employers are still concerned about hiring individuals who have limited language skills or limited educational backgrounds. And other employers have hired individuals with low English proficiency, but haven’t made any changes to their procedures and policies to accommodate them.
Looking into the future, as companies grow, they are going to need to pull from this population. And they will need to learn how to adjust their practices to accommodate a different type of employee. This means rethinking hiring assessments, and revamping onboarding strategies. It means making sure your current workforce, especially your leaders, know how to relate to people of other cultural backgrounds. It means investing in language training and cultural training.
The Role of Declining Jobs
There’s another important piece of information to consider as well. Many immigrants are employed in entry-level low-skilled positions. However, looking forward, those are the jobs most likely to be replaced by automation. The jobs of the future are mostly middle- to high-skilled positions. In order to have the workforce that’s needed to fill these open positions, employers need to start investing in training and development now.
For most workers, being able to move from low-skilled positions to middle or high-skilled positions would likely require obtaining additional educational or professional credentials and, for some, stronger English skills. Looking at the projections for the future workforce, employers need to start investing in training such as English as a second language, business writing, soft skills, cultural training, and technical skills. Offering these types of training opportunities to your employees will prepare them to move into higher-skilled positions when it’s needed.
At Workplace Talent Solutions, we are committed to helping employers develop their entry-level employees so they are poised for growth in the coming years. Our experience working with immigrants who have limited language skills enables us to see things from a different perspective and to understand what parts of your policies and procedures need to be revised in order to better accommodate a different demographic of employees.
Preparing for the future means developing and investing in your workforce today.
Workplace Talent Solutions helps companies stabilize their workforce and impact their communities by successfully hiring and employing immigrants, refugees, and those who don’t speak English well. They provide businesses with high-quality Workplace English classes. They provide Cultural Diversity training for leaders and supervisors. They will customize their material to fit the needs of employers. They offer HR Consulting services for companies and organizations that hire individuals who don't speak English well. They will evaluate hiring, onboarding, and training practices and make recommendations on ways to better accommodate employees who don't speak English.
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