Bernard Georges |
New Bridges for Haitian Success Inc. executive director
When I founded New Bridges for Haitian Success, I did so to build an organization where I could use my experiences with the challenges I faced as an immigrant teenager to provide immigrants with support that I did not have.
The main challenge for many immigrants is the English language. In many countries, English is not taught in public schools; coupled with low literacy levels. This struggle transfers to the workplace, with both English-speaking managers and non-English-proficient employees becoming frustrated.
A second challenge for many immigrants is the cultural adjustment to mainstream American practices and norms.
In many countries, life operates differently. Time is not necessarily perceived in a linear context. This can become complicated when workers are faced with family concerns or daily-life tasks, such as child care, transportation and systematic concerns [school, civic, legal, etc.]. Consequently, these personal concerns leak into the workplace, resulting in lost labor, wages and productivity.
Employers can address these barriers both internally and draw upon existing resources in workers’ home communities to support business efforts. Internally, companies could increase their knowledge of community-service providers who can be used as referrals for employees.
Human resource staff could invite agencies to inform them of the type of services and contact points for referrals; collaborate to develop employer, site-based professional development/training, such as English-language classes or other soft skills development to improve workplace productivity. Externally, employers can access community support to help address lifelong learning for workers. With increased awareness of the resources available, employers can address other employment restraints, such as child care and transportation.