DSM Selected to National Skilled Immigrant Integration Program
GREATER DES MOINES, IA (Feb 11, 2019) — Greater Des Moines (DSM) has been chosen as one of eight U.S. communities to receive customized technical assistance to advance its skilled immigrant integration efforts.
Based on their track records of supporting immigrant professional success through local programs and initiatives, DSM, along with the cities of Anchorage, Alaska, Boston, Mass., Lincoln, Neb., Pittsburgh, Pa., Portland, Maine, San Diego, Calif. and the state of Texas (where the program will be anchored in Austin), was chosen to participate in the 2019 program by the Global Talent Bridge program of World Education Services (WES), a national organization dedicated to helping skilled immigrants fully utilize their talents and education in the United States.
The grant will help support the work of the Greater Des Moines Partnership’s Global DSM: International Talent Strategy to attract and retain talent from across the globe. This initiative aims to strengthen DSM’s status as a place for foreign-born persons to find career opportunities. The Partnership will work closely with several other community organizations on this effort, including Goodwill of Central Iowa, Lutheran Services in Iowa, Iowa Works and Iowa Employment Solutions at Des Moines Area Community College.
“Our acceptance into this program further establishes DSM as a leader in attracting and retaining diverse global talent,” said Mary Bontrager, Executive Vice President of Talent Development at The Partnership. “We have earned a reputation as a welcoming region as our foreign-born population has grown at a faster rate than the rest of the country in recent years.”
“Our congratulations go out to these hard-working communities,” says Paul Feltman, deputy executive director for global talent policy and programs at WES. The program offers an opportunity for communities to further their state and local skilled immigrant integration initiatives, explains Feltman. “We are very encouraged by all the work each of these communities has already done in local immigrant integration, and are looking forward to working closely with them to take their efforts to the next level. If they are able to accomplish anything approaching what the first eight communities accomplished last year, we’ll be very proud.”
Over the course of the year, the Global Talent Bridge team and other national experts will provide each of the communities with a total of 24 hours of hands-on coaching, advising, and technical assistance as well as four interactive web-based training sessions on immigrant professional integration. Global Talent Bridge will lead monthly calls where communities will share ideas and provide updates on their progress. Additionally, Global Talent Bridge is sponsoring delegates from each of the eight communities to participate in a working cross-border conference in Toronto, Canada this summer.
About the Greater Des Moines Partnership
The Greater Des Moines Partnership is the economic and community development organization that serves Greater Des Moines (DSM), Iowa. Together with 24 Affiliate Chambers of Commerce, more than 6,400 Regional Business Members and more than 340 Investors, The Partnership drives economic growth with one voice, one mission and as one region. Through innovation, strategic planning and global collaboration, The Partnership grows opportunity, helps create jobs and promotes DSM as the best place to build a business, a career and a future. Learn more at DSMpartnership.com.