Blog - Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians

Overcoming Barriers as a High Skilled Immigrant in Philadelphia

June 9, 2020 By Welcoming Center In Community Engagement, Participant Voices, Workforce Development No Comments

I am Fode Kaba Traore. I am from Guinea which is in West Africa. In 2012, I earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from University Gamal Abdel Nasser of Conakry. Also, I earned certificates in HSE and transportation. Afterwards, I worked for different companies in the transportation field in Conakry and the countryside of [...]

Meet Asmaa Diab, founder of Syrian Kitchen

May 4, 2020 By Welcoming Center In Entrepreneurship No Comments

Asmaa is a graduate of the Welcoming Center's Business Training Program and a Global Craft Market participant. Asmaa came to the U.S. as a refugee from Syria. Once she resettled in Philadelphia, she found the opportunity to use her passion for cooking to work from home. What started off as cooking and baking for [...]

How inclusive are your talent strategies? Our equitable economic recovery will depend on it

April 20, 2020 By Welcoming Center In Workforce Development No Comments

For Philadelphia, workforce diversity has always been an economic imperative. As the impending economic crisis in the wake of COVID-19 looms in front of us, so much is unknown. But even amidst uncertainty and fear, familiar patterns emerge. Inequity, disparity and racism are not new, just more clear under the harsh light this crisis shines [...]

Now Is the Time for Physical Distancing and Social Inclusion

March 26, 2020 By Welcoming Center In Community Engagement No Comments

Over the last few weeks, countries around the world have gone on lockdowns and social distancing measures have been put in place in an effort to contain the COVID-19 outbreak. The Welcoming Center has gone virtual too — for now. A message from our President and CEO shared on March 12th announced that our physical location [...]

A Philadelphia Immigrant’s Story About Building Confidence and Finding Meaningful Employment

February 14, 2020 By Welcoming Center In Events, Workforce Development No Comments

Abigail grew up in northeast China, went to college in Bejing, and began her career working in education and training. After getting married in 2011, Abigail began to search for a job in Philadelphia, where her husband had been earning his PhD and working for years. Unable to move, Abigail remained in Bejing and began [...]

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