Building and Unlocking Immigrant Skills

Metropolitan areas are on the front lines of the economic integration of immigrants. Many skilled immigrants, especially those trained abroad, must overcome barriers including navigating the job search in a new market, having their foreign-earned credentials recognized, completing complex licensing or certification requirements, and improving their English skills. To spur longer-term growth, Metro regions should develop strategies that support both immigrants who are primed to learn and immigrants who have untapped skills.

On September 20, the Metropolitan Policy Program at Brookings released a paper examining how geographic regions can develop the human capital and economic advancement of immigrants to help boost short- and long-term growth, highlighting initiatives from communities across the country. Following the presentation by author and Senior Fellow Audrey Singer, a discussion with a panel of practitioners focused on programs and strategies to help immigrants advance.