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FOSTERING SOCIAL AND CORPORATE DIVERSIT Y AND INCLUSIONmarket their programs at Global Detroit events. In addition, Global Detroit is a regular presenter as part ofmany these leadership programs curricula, helping to spread awareness about the region’s 400,000 foreign-bornindividuals and the economic contributions they make.Organizing a specific event that emphasizes the region’s commitment to diversity and integration and that helpsdevelop networks for newcomers can have a profound effect. The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (theregion’s largest hospital system), in partnership with Vibrant Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh Council on HigherEducation held a Trailing Partners Welcome Reception to welcome and help connect spouses of university fellowsand residents new to the region. Trailing partners who have accompanied a loved one to the region are introducedto employers, private schools for their children, and other resources available in the region.3. Connect Job Seekers to Regional Job OpportunitiesVibrant Pittsburgh regularly attends job fairs to find talented and diverse STEM-field, education, and healthcarejob-seekers. Vibrant Pittsburgh helps these job-seekers find jobs by sending their resumes to corporations thatparticipate in Vibrant Pittsburgh’s “Employer Members” program. Employer Members pay an annual membership feein exchange for assistance in diversifying their workforce and help with cultural events and other activities to createan inclusive atmosphere for employees. Vibrant Pittsburgh takes resumes of diverse job-seekers at job fairs and sendsthem on to Employer Members to fill talent gaps within their companies. The resumes that do not fit the immediateneeds of Employer Members are posted on a private online forum for Members to search when talent needs arise.4. Helping Corporations Find Immigrantsto Fulfill Unmet Talent NeedsThe Michigan Global Talent Retention Initiative (GTRI) is an international student retention program thatworks with both employers and international students, helping employers fill unmet talent needs. GTRI’s workis chronicled in the chapter about international student retention at page 25. GTRI dispels myths that Michiganemployers may have about hiring international students and spreads awareness of the competitive economic advantageof hiring from this talent pool. GTRI developed a certification processfor companies interested in hiring international students. TheGlobal Opportunity Employer (GOemployer) certification helpsinternational students identify companies that consider all qualifiedapplicants for jobs and will not disqualify viable candidates solelybecause of their lawful immigration status. GOemployers hireinternational students who do not require sponsorship for internshipsand full-time employment and consider sponsoring foreign nationalsfor employer sponsored work visas (i.e. H-1B).Global Cleveland, a nonprofit regional economic developmentorganization, helps corporations diversify by offering “HiringInternational Talent” seminars, an ongoing free seminar series thatis designed to help corporations understand the hiring process forforeign-born workers. Led by a prominent immigration attorney, thetrainings help corporations—especially SMEs that might lack theWELCOMING AMERICA | GUIDE TO <strong>IMMIGRANT</strong> ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT | CHAPTER 1174The Global Opportunity Employer(GOemployer) certification helpsinternational students identifycompanies that consider all qualifiedapplicants for jobs and will notdisqualify viable candidates solelybecause of their lawful immigrationstatus.resources to invest in immigration attorneys and a complete international hiring strategy—understand and navigatethe complicated legal steps required to procure foreign talent, and build a more diverse workforce.5. Attract and Retain Diverse Talent in Your Region¡Hola Pittsburgh! is a regional effort to put Pittsburgh on the map for Latinos considering relocation in theU.S. that was originally spearheaded by a small collaborative of local organizations including the PittsburghMetropolitan Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Pittsburgh Promise, ImaginePittsburgh.com, andVibrant Pittsburgh. ¡Hola Pittsburgh! was later endorsed by Mayor Bill Peduto and now, working with a larger
FOSTERING SOCIAL AND CORPORATE DIVERSIT Y AND INCLUSIONcollaborative of 16 Pittsburgh community organizations, is part of broader strategy to create a more welcoming,diverse and inclusive region, which is critical to the sustained prosperity of Pittsburgh.Representatives from this group attend conferences across the country for Latino professionals, host festivals,sponsor roadside billboards, and develop new strategies to promote the region to Latinos already in the U.S. andthose considering relocating to the U.S. In June 2014, ¡Hola Pittsburgh! sponsored a popular Puerto Rican basedsalsa band, El Gran Combo, to play at the fourth annual JazzLive Festival. Word about the event traveled all theway to Puerto Rico where local news stations reported on the success of the concert. The concert attracted nearly2,000 people from across the country and helped publicize Pittsburgh as a welcoming city for Puerto Ricansrelocating to the continental U.S.6. Support Welcoming Efforts for More Inclusive CitiesIncreasingly large employers are working with broader welcoming initiatives to foster more open and inclusivelocal cultures. In Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, Pittsburgh, and other Midwest metros, demand for diverse talentis increasing, but the regions are not traditional gateways for new immigrants. 15 This puts these metro regions at adisadvantage when they compete with cities that have more established immigrant networks and infrastructure forimmigrant workers. And it is no surprise that many of these regions that are not traditional gateways have beeneager to launch welcoming initiatives and to join WelcomingAmerica’s membership network, including the Welcoming Citiesand Counties movement. 16While this list is by no means exhaustive, it does give a sense of whatis possible in markets intent on building a greater degree of diversityin the business community. Obviously, having willing partners withemployers is key to the success of this overall strategy. Yet conceptsarticulated here also show that the barrier for businesses to try is nothigh. There is little risk for a business to connect to a professionalIncreasingly large employers areworking with broader welcominginitiatives to foster more open andinclusive local cultures.network or to host a social event targeted at internationals. Moreover, the chance for a business to succeed is evengreater where economic development organizations take the lead and develop programs to help the region attract,retain, and grow the diverse talent pool that regions need to remain competitive in the 21st Century.15 Neil G. Ruiz, “Demand for H-1B Immigrant Workers in U.S. Metropolitan Areas,” brookings.edu. Brookings Institution, MetropolitanPolicy Program, July 18, 2012, http://www.brookings.edu/research/speeches/2012/07/18-h1b-visas-labor-immigration-ruiz.16 Welcoming America’s affiliates can be found at http://www.welcomingamerica.org/about-us/our-affiliates/. Welcoming Cities andCounties can be found at http://www.welcomingamerica.org/about-us/cities/.WELCOMING AMERICA | GUIDE TO <strong>IMMIGRANT</strong> ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT | CHAPTER 1175.
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