Impact Goal:
Refugee unemployment will be replaced with economic mobility within our lifetime.
What We Do
CREATING JOBS FOR REFUGEES
Ascend Program
Regardless of prior work experience or fluency in English, any former refugee who has relocated to Spokane can work towards economic mobility through Global Neighborhood's Ascend Program.
Acquiring the necessary job skills is the first step toward a fulfilling, self-sustaining new life in the U.S. We aim to ensure that every former refugee in Spokane who wants a job can find one. Refugees face several barriers to employment, including language and cultural barriers, difficulties navigating new systems, and no local references. The Ascend program provides the necessary training, work experience, familiarity with a new language and culture, and local employment references for refugees experiencing barriers to employment.
Ascend operates with three pillars that can help former refugees achieve economic mobility through autonomy over future career plans, socials and professional power, and earning power. Here’s how we do it:
Step One: Establishing Foundations
Participants engage in a comprehensive training program aimed at understanding
workplace standards and expectations, selecting an area of specialization, and acquiring
relevant skills. The program fosters community engagement and offers workshops to
enhance social and professional networks.
goals:
1. Learn and understand workplace standards and expectations.
2. Choose an area of training.
3. Acquire skills relevant to the chosen area of training.
4. Engage in Friday community time and workshops.
metrics tracked
Power and autonomy through applications, interviews, and chosen area of training.
Social and professional network development through on-site training and guest
speakers.Earning power through entry-level wages during paid training.
Step Two: Skill Enhancement and Leadership Development
Participants advance to the next level of skills development while also assuming
leadership roles by teaching skills to the next cohort. Career coaching sessions help
participants articulate their desired career paths and plan accordingly.
goals:
1. Learn advanced skills in the chosen area of specialization.
2. Teach acquired skills to the next cohort.
3. Receive career coaching and discuss career progression.
Metrics Tracked
Earning power through the acquisition of new skills.
Leadership impact through training of other cohort participants.
Power and autonomy through proactive career planning.
Step Three: Certification and Career Advancement
Participants further refine their skills and obtain certifications or education aligned with
their career goals. The program facilitates mock interviews, resume building, job
shadowing, and connections with apprenticeships to support participants in their career
advancement.
Goals:
1. Attain certifications relevant to career goals (e.g., Food Handlers, Forklift, STARS
childcare training).
2. Train the previous cohort on newly acquired skills.
3. Engage in mock interviews, resume building, and job shadowing.
Metrics Tracked
Expansion of social and professional networks through mock interviews and job
shadowing.Increased earning power through certifications and apprenticeships.
Empowerment and autonomy demonstrated through deliberate career path choices.
Overall Outcome Goals
Autonomy and Choice
- 70% will report an increased sense in control over their future career plans
Social Capital
-85% will build their professional network
Earning Power
- 65% will increase their earning power
Global Neighborhood Thrift & Vintage drives our mission and programs.
Through our Employment Social Enterprise business, Global Neighborhood Thrift & Vintage, refugees in our community receive job training, employment, and most importantly a paycheck. When you shop our store you help sustain jobs for refugees in the Spokane community.
At Global Neighborhood Thrift & Vintage customers not only get the benefit of reasonable prices but of great selection. It’s the best of both worlds. The store boasts a quality, ever-changing inventory that satisfies everyday needs on a budget. The vintage section offers a curated selection of bold, unique and quirky collectibles and fashions. There’s a reason vintage resellers love it here.
English Language Program
Global Neighborhood offers free English classes for any refugee in the community. Classes focus on practical language skills and development serving language learnings level 1-6.
Our language program seeks to empower students to successfully navigate life and work in the U.S. as well as identify and prioritize their personal, educational, and workplace goals. Refugees with higher English proficiency are more likely to secure employment in skilled occupations and earn higher salaries. Therefore, by increasing English language proficiency, Global Neighborhood directly enhances the earning potential of our refugee participants.
For more information on the English Program email ESL@global-neighborhood.org
Permanent Employment
Global Neighborhood offers full-time and part-time employment at Global Neighborhood Thrift & Vintage. We provide a unique cultural environment, having had more than 30 countries represented on our staff. Staff report feeling at ease learning in our work environment due to the diversity in representation of culture, race, gender, age, and language.
A Commitment to Sustainability
Global Neighborhood is as dedicated to sustainability as it is to excellent thrift store finds. Our robust recycling program helps keep as many items as possible from ending up in landfills. Each month we divert more than 120,000 pounds of textiles, home goods, and metal from the landfill, all while creating more job opportunities for refugees.
We accept tattered clothes, textiles, and metal as part of our recycling program. Check out more information about items we accept here.