Finding Industry Specific Jobs

By Lana Whiteford, The International Rescue Committee of Boise, Idaho

After months of fruitless searching, and with a rapidly growing client list, I realized I’d have to start thinking “outside the box” if I were going to locate new employment sources.

One day, my director handed me a newspaper article that focused on a protest against the recent political decision to not allow year-round H2A visas for operations employing non-U.S. workers. One of the most vocal protesters was the dairy industry.

After some background research, I came across a Cornell University study showing that the majority of New York State dairy workers were actually illegal immigrants. I also discovered that there had been recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in several industries, including meat-packing, manufacturing and dairy operations. Armed with this information I began researching my own state’s industries. Idaho is one of the top dairy producing states in the country. In addition, we have a fair amount of large food processors.

I began sending out emails to the state’s dairy associations with a basic explanation of the services we offered. I highlighted the fact that refugees are a great labor force, that many come from agricultural backgrounds and -- best of all -- that they are WORK-AUTHORIZED. The dairy associations invited us to present at their meetings. This led to one dairy offering to hire refugees to staff a new operation it is building. Several other dairies have asked us to visit their locations to discuss hiring. Another dairy heard about us through National Public Radio and invited us to bring in ten candidates to interview. Within two months, the dairy industry has already employed 30 refugees.

I also began contacting food processing companies in and near our state, and was invited to tour an onion processor and explain what we had to offer. They were very enthusiastic and offered us ten positions on the spot, with the possibility of thirty more if the initial ten performed well. Shortly thereafter I spoke with another onion processor, who said they were also interested in hiring 30-40 people. The person in charge of that factory also mentioned several additional leads.

I encourage you to research the manufacturing and agricultural industries in your state. Learn about their operations and needs. This way you can create effective presentations. When you present to them, I recommend mentioning these key points:

1. Refugees are permanently work-authorized due to their status.

2. Refugees have higher retention rates, which can save thousands of dollars in hiring costs (it’s helpful if you can quote the one-year retention rate at your office).

3. Refugees are hard-working and resilient people, who want opportunities to prove themselves.

4. Many refugees qualify for the Federal Work Opportunity Tax Credit.

5. Refugees have an agency behind them that will help with training, paperwork, etc.

Create an effective marketing package for each industry. Some tools I’ve created include industry-specific brochures and PowerPoint presentations. You may only get one opportunity to present to a single industry. Know your selling points thoroughly in advance.