Charlottesville has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country, and IRC clients have been critical in filling the area’s unmet labor needs. The IRC achieves a nearly 100% job placement and retention rate in the first six months after arrival.
Once a family’s survival needs have been met after the first few weeks, IRC staff begin to assist clients to find employment which will not only sustain the family financially, but will help them to gain a sense of control over their lives. New arrivals are immediately enrolled in English and job readiness classes taught by volunteers in the IRC offices.
IRC’s Employment Coordinator helps each client to find his or her first job, providing language interpretation and support as needed to the client and to the employer. Once the client has learned to speak English and has gained six months of work experience, IRC provides clients assistance in upgrading their jobs.
Many thanks to our local refugee employers.
If you would like to learn more about hiring refugees, please contact our Employment Coordinator, Tanja Milanovic, at tanjam@theIRC.org or (434) 979-7772.
