Find job training programs and get skills for work

Where to find programs

Libraries, schools, and community centers often have programs that teach these basic skills. So does a charity called Goodwill. You may have seen Goodwill stores where you can buy used clothes and household goods. Goodwill uses the money from its stores to help people get ready for work and find work. They offer English and other basic classes. They may help with child care while you learn. In some places, Goodwill has specific job training programs, such as skills for working in banks and hospitals. Find your local Goodwill for skills training and support.

Use your local job center

Every community has a job center to help people find work. American Job Centers are free services from the US government. The job centers use the name “CareerOneStop” online, but they may also have a local name in your state or city. For example, Texas job centers are called “Workforce Solutions.” Minnesota job centers are called “CareerForce.”

Contacting your local job center can help you in many ways, including giving you training or access to job training programs. Some job centers have special job training programs for refugees and immigrants! Find your nearest job center.

Go to community college

Community colleges are schools for adults of all ages that offer many different courses. You can do anything from learning English in evening classes to taking a 2-year course in engineering. Community colleges have many job training courses. Tuition fees are much lower than universities and private colleges. Find a community college.

Sign up for Job Corps

Job Corps is a government program that offers free education and job training programs to young men and women who are 16 to 24 years old.  Job Corps has training programs in many different fields like healthcare, culinary, construction, computer technician, and many more! Learn more about Job Corps.

Become an apprentice

An apprentice is someone who learns skills while he or she works. Apprentices train on the job, and they often have some classroom instruction, too. This is a good path for you if you have an interest in a specific job – for example fixing cars or being an electrician – but you do not have the skills yet. The US Department of Labor has a list of apprenticeships.

The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) also has a list of apprenticeship programs run by different unions. Learn more information about union apprenticeships.

These lists only cover a few of the apprenticeship possibilities. Are there businesses near you that are always looking for workers? You could ask them if they would be willing to take you on as an apprentice and train you. Often, a reliable and hardworking employee is more important to employers than any skills, because they can teach you the skills.

Upwardly Global helps immigrant and refugee professionals

Upwardly Global’s free program has helped over 8,000 immigrant and refugee professionals restart their careers in the U.S. Their program serves 15 states and includes:

• One-on-one job search assistance from industry experts
• Interactive courses on resumes, interviews, professional English and more
• Free top-rated certification programs in IT, computer programming, project management, and more
• Exclusive networking events with top U.S. employers

Upwardly Global also provides licensing support to professionals in the healthcare, engineering, accounting, legal, and other licensed fields. 

Find out more about Upwardly Global’s program and apply today.

Check out these additional resources from Upwardly Global!

• Upwardly Global public resources 
• Upwardly Global job search support for Afghan evacuees 

Find organizations that help newcomers

In big cities, and even in some smaller communities, you will find organizations that help newcomers train for work. This may be a resettlement agency or an international institute. It may be a project that trains newcomers in certain careers.

Here are some places that train newcomers for work:

• Boston: The International Institute of New England offers two job training programs in high-demand areas: a hospitality training program and a healthcare services certificate.
• Central Texas: Capital IDEA  helps adults train in high-demand careers.
• Colorado: The Women’s Bean Project employs people in dry food production while they gain job and life skills.
• Minnesota: Comunidades Latinas Unidas en Servicio (CLUES) offers free, 9-week career courses for adults in the healthcare, construction and customer service fields
• Also in Minnesota: The Hmong American Partnership offers job training programs to teach high-demand industry skills.
• Maine: The New American Sustainable Agriculture Project helps people become farmers.
• Utah: the Spice Kitchen Incubator trains refugees to be food truck entrepreneurs.
• Washington state: Project Feast trains refugees and immigrants to enter the food service industry.

Think ahead – train for a career in technology

There are more than half a million computing job vacancies in the USA! Several cities have computer coding programs just for newcomers.

If you already have or want to learn computer skills, think about computer and internet security training, also called cybersecurity. There is a high demand for people with cybersecurity skills, and it will be a good job for the future. You can read more about technology jobs.

Get certification

Perhaps you already have a job skill, such as tiling or plumbing, teaching or nursing? For many jobs in the USA, you need a certificate to show you are trained, so you can do your job in the United States.

To get certified, you will probably have to pass a test. Maybe you will need some training before you take the test.

• CareerOneStop Certification Finder can help you find the certification you need.
• Upwardly Global helps newcomer professionals get re-certified in the United States.

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