On Tuesday, March 24, 2009, approximately forty recently resettled professionals attended the
. The attendees included lawyers, engineers, military and corporate interpreters, and other professionals who recently fled extreme hardship and violence in their native countries. The workshop addressed the steps necessary to resume and/or pursue professional career paths in the U.S.
The workshop kicked off with Naji AbdelSayed, the owner of
Global Professional Services, discussing the American work mentality and how it differs from the work mentality in the attendees' native countries. He emphasized how America is the "land of opportunity," but that you must work hard to succeed. Naji, who arrived in the US as a refugee over a decade ago, stressed that being resettled in America was like being reincarnated -- you get a second chance at a better life. He then explained the purpose of the workshop by citing this Chinese proverb: "Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish and he will eat for a lifetime."
Naji and his partner, Ms. Eila Patel, can be reached at globaltradegroup@yahoo.com or (713) 530-8299. GPS provides comprehensive employment placement services and was instrumental in the programming of this workshop.The speaker from
Workforce Solutions (
www.wrksolutions.com) discussed the services her organization offers to job seekers along the Gulf Coast. If you do not yet have a resume, you can attend a WS resume seminar and learn how to create and continuously update your own resume. Once you have a resume, WS will assist you in locating employment through their many connections with major Houston-area employers. WS routinely holds career fairs that target particular industries, such as the medical and engineering industries.
You can find out about Workforce Solutions's upcoming job fairs HERE or by calling 1-888-469-5627.The
Houston Independent School District's (
www.houstonisd.org) speaker first acknowledged the great strides that refugee children were making in HISD schools, and especially how quickly they are all learning English. She then spoke about employment opportunities at HISD. There are support positions as well as teaching positions available (teacher, teacher's assistant, substitute). Additionally, there is the
Alternative Certification Program (ACP) for those who already have professional degrees. This is the hiring season for the next school year, so she encouraged the attendees to prepare resumes and attend the upcoming career fairs.
You can learn about upcoming job fairs by calling HISD at 713-556-7373.American InterContinental University (
www.aiuniv.edu) sent a team of administrators to speak to the workshop attendees about the education opportunities at their university. AIU has a
local campus in Houston, as well as international campuses and online course options. Their courses are offered in the morning, in the evening, and online, to accommodate the busy schedules of working professionals. They have undergraduate and graduate programs, and offer tuition assistance to those who qualify.
You can contact AIU at 1-888-607-9888.
SpanTran (
www.spantran-edu.com) spoke at length about the necessity of degree evaluation. SpanTran is one of several local organizations that can evaluate foreign education credentials and translate them into English. This is an essential step if wish to pursue a professional career in America.
You can contact SpanTran at 713-266-8805.The
Arab-American Cultural & Community Center (
www.arabamericancenter.org) graciously allowed us to hold the workshop free of charge in their beautiful ballroom. Mr. Ahmad Alyasin, the president of the ACC, told the attendees about the center's services and upcoming events. They are hosting an Arab-American Festival on April 18th and 19th that will be "the largest Arab-American event in Texas ever." For more information visit
www.ArabAmericanFestival.com.
You can contact the ACC at 832-351-3366 or info@arabamericancenter.org.Ms. Jackie Zwayne of
SHARRE, a local non-profit organization that supports the resettlement of all refugees in the Houston area, explained her organization's services. SHARRE's mission is to serve Houston's refugee communities by providing the individualized resources necessary to reach self-sufficiency and assimilation into the American culture. SHARRE delivers donated goods to new families and organizes socializing events. All funding for materials and catering for the workshop was generously provided by SHARRE. You can support SHARRE's efforts by volunteering; through donations of furniture, clothing, or food; or through financial donations.
Contact Jackie at (832) 202-3769 or Zulayka at (832) 630-3440.Ms. Liz Vallette, the Coordinator of The List Project's Houston Chapter, spoke briefly about TLP.
The List Project [to Resettle Iraqi Allies] (
www.thelistproject.org) supports Iraqis who served in life-threatening positions supporting the US government and US military efforts in Iraq. Iraqis, if you have a friend or family member who is danger do to their affiliation with the US, contact TLP at refugees@thelistproject.org. Nationally, TLP helps Iraqi Allies navigate the immigration process in order to be resettled to safety in the US. Locally, TLP-Houston works with
SHARRE to ease the resettlement of Iraqi Allies in the Greater Houston area. You can help TLP deliver an Iraqi Ally to safety through
financial donations. Join the
TLP network!
While Iraqis made up the vast majority of the workshop's attendees, there were also several Palestinians present. The organizers hope to attract professionals of all backgrounds to similar events in the future, as refugees of all nationalities contribute valuable skills to the American workforce. A special thank you to Global Professional Services for arranging the program and to SHARRE for funding the materials and food.
The workshop kicked off with Naji AbdelSayed, the owner of Global Professional Services, discussing the American work mentality and how it differs from the work mentality in the attendees' native countries. He emphasized how America is the "land of opportunity," but that you must work hard to succeed. Naji, who arrived in the US as a refugee over a decade ago, stressed that being resettled in America was like being reincarnated -- you get a second chance at a better life. He then explained the purpose of the workshop by citing this Chinese proverb: "Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish and he will eat for a lifetime." Naji and his partner, Ms. Eila Patel, can be reached at globaltradegroup@yahoo.com or (713) 530-8299. GPS provides comprehensive employment placement services and was instrumental in the programming of this workshop.
SpanTran (www.spantran-edu.com) spoke at length about the necessity of degree evaluation. SpanTran is one of several local organizations that can evaluate foreign education credentials and translate them into English. This is an essential step if wish to pursue a professional career in America. You can contact SpanTran at 713-266-8805..jpg)
