Building Tomorrow’s Workforce: Hispanic Immigrant Workers in America
During the next decade, one out of every four new workers in the United States will be an immigrant from Latin America. While some of these newcomers speak English well and enter the United States with strong academic credentials and skills, most do not. Over 50% of Hispanic immigrants have less than a high school education, and like other low-skilled working adults, they face a host of barriers if they want to earn the credentials they need to compete in today’s labor market. In spite of overwhelming odds, some of these immigrants are finding their way to college. They are preparing for and entering post-secondary programs and earning credentials that provide them with the skills required to get and keep good jobs. From food processing to aviation, employers are turning to these newly skilled people to meet their needs for skilled workers. These immigrants are making significant progress, and many are doing so with the assistance of new and innovative partnerships among employers, community colleges, and community organizations. These partnerships are the subject of this study. Funded by the Lumina Foundation, this study was led by Corporation for a Skilled Workforce and supported by its partners: the Manufacturing Institute, The National Council for Workforce Education, and Excelencia in Education. This report presents promising Employer/community college partnerships that expand access to higher education and benefit low-skilled, immigrant Hispanic adults.