Join Our Team

Organization 

Founded in 2003, the Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians’ (WCNP) mission is to promote inclusive economic growth through immigrant integration. We develop and implement training programs focused on social, civic, and economic engagement which enhance skills and expand opportunities. By doing so, we strengthen the economic development of the city and the state. We believe that immigrants broaden the productivity, profitability, and stability of this region and contribute to both Pennsylvania’s and the nation’s economic growth. 

The barriers immigrants face are as diverse as our participants, and our programming responds to the comprehensive and varied nature of their challenges by providing creative, measurable responses to each scenario. We believe every person has skills, experience and aspirations to participate in creative solutions to their challenges and choose their own course of action. We practice collaborative, participant-centered approaches as we seek to cultivate a community that can serve as a vital resource for all people working toward successful immigrant integration. 

We seek to address individual needs through our programming, but we also recognize the value of strategic partnerships to elevate immigrant voices and opportunity. By cultivating these external relationships, we increase awareness and leverage resources that promote immigrant inclusivity as an important component of economic growth for all. 

PROJECT OVERVIEW 

The Engaging Immigrant Talent initiative is made possible by the WES Mariam Assefa Fund. It has been designed to create access and opportunity for the immigrant workforce of Philadelphia. Through our partnership with the Department of Commerce, formerly Office of Workforce Development, as part of a citywide initiative, we will build on existing strategies for the advancement of immigrant workforce integration at all skill and education levels in public and private sectors. The goal of this qualitative study is to develop a best practices toolkit for employers and HR professionals consisting of materials, guides and trainings to advance the development of immigrant talent at all skill and education levels. 

Under this initiative we are also undergoing an external evaluation of our International Professionals Program, an eight-month program developed to address the issue of “brain waste” among highly educated, foreign-trained immigrant professionals in Philadelphia who are un- or under-employed and seeking meaningful employment. In addition to traditional job-seeking skills, IPP provides skills to overcome the unique barriers immigrants face when seeking employment in a new culture; specifically building networks and developing cultural competence. The program consists of two phases of instruction. Phase 1 is an eight-week classroom-based and experiential training term that helps build job-seeking skills, and connect participants to mentors, professionals and networks that support their career goals. Training is conducted by WCNP staff, external field experts and volunteers. Phase 2 consists of six months of customized job-coaching and providing one-on-one guidance for job-seeking activities and evolving individual needs. IPP graduates may also have the opportunity to connect to real-world, paid experiences in their field through the Immigrant Fellowship Program, offered in partnership with the City of Philadelphia’s Office of Workforce Development. 

INTERN/VOLUNTEER SUMMARY 

The Intern/Volunteer is an unpaid part-time position (15-30 hours per week), reporting to the Director of Employer Engagement, and responsible for employment, project and research assistance including but not limited to employer outreach, data management, and event coordination. 

A successful candidate for this position will operate effectively in a dynamic, fast-paced, and sometimes ambiguous non-profit environment; embrace diverse opinions and viewpoints; and operate from an asset-based perspective.  We’re seeking someone who will strive for quality in program delivery and outcomes without sacrificing attention to individual participant needs. This role requires strong interpersonal, time management, organizational, and administrative skills as well as the ability to professionally engage external relationships with employer partners. An ability to interact with a wide variety of people from different backgrounds with cultural competency and respect and a commitment to quality is a must. 

INTERN/VOLUNTEER DESCRIPTION 

• Conduct, track and document customized searches for jobs, trainings, and educational opportunities based on program participant’s education level, work history, interests and goals 

• Practice excellent communication and time management skills that can serve as a model to program participants and partners; Maintain professionalism, discretion, and confidentiality, always 
• Create and generate customized reports and notifications using database system for the purposes of sharing relevant information with designated staff and/or employer partners regarding participants, employers, or community partners 
• Maintain and monitor database records for accuracy 
• Participate in conferences, seminars, and training sessions to keep abreast of developments in the field, and recommend integration of relevant information 
• Advise staff of possible experiential learning opportunities (when appropriate) and resources, such as volunteer work and internships, including the Immigrant Fellowship Program. 

• Collaborate with the Director of Employer Engagement to build new, and maintain existing, employer relationships for engaging with the Welcoming Center for talent acquisition, volunteerism, procurement, and understanding emerging business/HR needs 
• Develop and administer program evaluation tools such as surveys, focus groups, and other tools as a part of the ongoing internal monitoring and evaluation systems for the agency 
• Complete other tasks related to overall scope of the grant project including but not limited to the International Professional and Immigrant Fellowship program 
• Contribute to all project-related activities in a thoughtful, meaningful manner 
• Perform data entry and other clerical work as required for project completion 

SKILLS & QUALIFICATIONS 

• Junior/Senior Undergraduate in accredited college or university preferred; Or, 2+ years of experience in human resources, corporate training, or workforce development fields. 
• Commitment to work 15-30 hours per week; Primarily working remotely weekdays/evenings; Attend mandatory meetings 

• Must have adequate equipment, technology and internet connectivity to perform internship duties including tele- and videoconferencing 
• Strong interpersonal skills, possessing good instincts, intuition and an ability to adapt to intercultural communication, presenting both a professional and approachable demeanor. Excellent listening skills, allowing for language and culture differences in communication. A relationship-builder who can provide services and teamwork with great empathy. 
• Excellent verbal, written, and telephone communication skills. Comfortable adapting communication style appropriately. Able to gather data, compile information, and prepare and present reports. 
• Demonstrated evidence of ability to navigate conversations which may be difficult due to language, culture, and other circumstances which may lead to misunderstanding. Experience working with English Language Learners (ELL) desirable. 
• Demonstrated initiative and creativity in project planning and implementation, especially with regards to outreach and job search. 

• Strong commitment to core values of community, collaboration, creativity and asset-based, participant-centered approach. 
• Demonstrated commitment to immigrant integration, with a focus on workforce development and other economic mobility strategies a plus 
• Consistent, high quality written communication skills adaptable to both internal and external audiences 
• Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media ideal 
• Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; and psychological research methods 

• Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins helpful 
• Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources 
• Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar 
• Ability to externally share information and promote the program in outreach efforts to local institutions, organizations, community groups and potential employer partners 
• Highly organized, detail-oriented with an ability to see projects through to completion and effectively communicate updates to supervisor, colleagues and staff across programs. Ability to manage files and data in consistent ways so that file-sharing is efficient 

TO APPLY 

Please submit a cover letter, resume/CV and writing sample to Rochelle T. Cooks, Director of Employer Engagement at rochelle@welcomingcenter.org with the subject “Employment Assistant Internship”. 

Welcoming Center is an equal opportunity employer. People of color, immigrants, women and LGBTQ+ candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.