Refugees: The workforce we didn’t know we needed (Guest Opinion)
Dec 17, 2024
Arsham Bari, Madison Stead and Parmis Mokhtari-Dizaji are students in the Refugee Pathways and Resettlement Policy class taught by Julie Ficarra, Ph.D., in the Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy at Cornell University. They reside in Ithaca.Central New York is abuzz with anticipation over Micron’s transformative $100 billion investment in a massive semiconductor manufacturing complex in Clay. This historic project promises 9,000 Micron jobs, 4,500 construction jobs and 40,000 indirect jobs, injecting new life into the region’s economy. Yet, as construction on the first fab begins in 2025, with production slated for 2028, one pressing question looms: Who will step up to fill these roles?The answer lies with New Americans. New York, one of the nation’s most culturally diverse states, is home to immigrants and refugees who are essential to addressing workforce shortages and revitalizing cities with aging populations.Yet uncertainty looms with the Trump administration’s set return in January. Refugee admissions dropped by 86% during his previous term, and a repeat of such policies could severely impact workforce growth in Central New York. Can the region meet its urgent labor demands under these restrictive immigration conditions? We think not.Cities like Rochester and counties such as Albany, Onondaga and Erie face shrinking populations and slower growth. Refugees and immigrants are stepping in to fill gaps in critical industries such as healthcare, manufacturing and agriculture. As they develop skills and improve their English, they advance into higher-paying roles like nursing, software development and entrepreneurship. In Monroe County, for instance, over 5,000 immigrant entrepreneurs are revitalizing local businesses and driving economic growth. A 2024 report found that 1,000 new immigrant workers in Upstate New York generate $17 million in wages and $1.9 million in taxes in their first year, rising to $30 million and $3.4 million, respectively, after five years, highlighting their economic impact.Refugees have also played a pivotal role in New York’s Covid-19 response, working in health care, food distribution and contact tracing. With persistent health care staffing shortages, particularly in nursing homes, their contributions are more vital than ever.However, the pathway for a newcomer to start a business or gain employment in industry is not straightforward. Thousands of refugees and New Americans rely on nonprofit organizations to help them get started in what can be a confusing local landscape. The Center in Utica has become a hub for workforce development and integration for migrants. Partnering with over 80 local employers in industries like health care, manufacturing and hospitality in a single year, the center placed 345 individuals into jobs, helping families achieve stability and self-sufficiency while meeting the region’s workforce demands. Similarly, InterFaith Works of Central New York placed 159 individuals into jobs in 2023. Its programs include the federally funded Matching Grant, providing 180 days of support for those finding jobs within four months, and the Making a Connection Youth Program, which links young adults to mentorship and job opportunities.Le Moyne College’s Healthcare Advancement Resource Center (HARC) builds on this model, addressing one of the country’s most pressing issues: health care worker shortages. Funded by a private New York state foundation, HARC helps refugees and immigrants with prior medical experience re-enter their fields by providing credential verification, licensure guidance and medical English training. Programs like this not only give individuals the opportunity to resume meaningful careers but also help fill critical gaps in the health care industry. With the Association of American Medical Colleges projecting that there will be a shortage of up to 124,000 physicians by 2034, initiatives like HARC are vital. However, as Bill Brower, former special assistant to the president for strategic partnerships and workforce innovation at Le Moyne, emphasized in an interview, institutional support for HARC has waned. Brower urges healthcare organizations to co-invest in programs like HARC, recognizing their essential role in addressing workforce shortages.Central New York is at a pivotal moment: Workforce integration is no longer just a mere responsibility, it is a strategic necessity. With over $28 billion in federal investments already secured, Upstate New York is positioning itself as a hub for skilled workers. This growing demand for talent makes the call for New Americans to fill the labor gap more urgent than ever.To build a thriving and inclusive future, we must strategically align training programs with the growing demands of key industries like tech, health care, agriculture and construction. This means, for example, investing in the expansion of programs such as Le Moyne’s HARC and Micron’s Girls Going Tech, which has already served hundreds of girls in Central New York and was recently delivered in Spanish for the first time, so that girls could participate in their native language. Advancing this goal and scaling existing initiatives would create pathways for success, regardless of background. We can make this happen by sponsoring workforce development programs through private-public partnerships, bringing together the resources and expertise of both sectors to create sustainable solutions that open doors for everyone.As mentioned, we already have open jobs that need to be filled, and immigrants are making significant positive contributions to our local economy. But there’s a threat on the horizon: immigration policies that could make it harder for refugees and New Americans to fill these critical positions, and the real risk of essential funding streams being limited through executive action or federal public safety grants withheld from sanctuary cities, like Syracuse. Therefore, as a community, Central New York must advocate for the inclusion of New Americans in our workforce. If we fail to act, we risk losing out on a valuable opportunity to lead the nation in inclusive growth and in building a stronger economy for our region.The time to act is now.