From New York and Copenhagen
Webinar on  ‘Mentor and Network’, Good HR Practices for Workforce Integration

• Watch the Archived Webinar Recording!
• Download the It’s Not Just Getting a Job: It’s Building a Career PDF presentation
• Listen to the Q&A!

Today’s global economy is characterized by unprecedented levels of labour force mobility and growing levels of international trade. Cities that are able to harness the competitive advantage of diversity are able to reach into new markets, internationalize their customer base, and benefit from skills and talent that fuel innovation and drive high performance

‘Mentoring’ and ‘networking’ are two key strategies HR professionals most often cite when discussing the professional development of new –and existing– staff. These strategies are critical to immigrants seeking to enter new labour markets where language and cultural differences create additional barriers to workplace entry.

On October 20, 2009, please join Cities of Migration with guest speakers, Sherazade Langlade, from New York’s Upwardly Global and Beatriz Hernandez de Fuhr, from Copenhagen’s KVinfo, internationally recognized experts in the fields of mentoring and labourforce integration, for a 60-minute international webinar on human resource strategies that recruit, retain and result in the successful integration of skilled immigrants and increased diversity in the workforce.

To learn more about the Good Idea, read:

• Interviewing the ‘Up and Coming’ at Upwardly Global
• Working Women, A Very Simple Idea : Kvinfo Mentor Network

Who should attend: employers in all sectors, integration practitioners, immigrant supporting organizations, HR professionals, policy-makers (employment)

Requirements: To participate, you will need a computer with internet access and a landline telephone, not a mobile.

For assistance contact: citiesofmigration@maytree.com

Speakers

Sherazade Langlade
New York Managing Director, Upwardly Global

Sherazade’s extensive background in program management and corporate partnerships include previous roles as Manager of the Nonprofit Leadership Development Institute at the United Way of New York City and Director of Volunteer Programs for Habitat for Humanity where she created new programs focused on creating community value, individual impact and engaging the corporate and academic sector to partner in solving society’s challenges. She was a National Urban Fellow, Class of 2005. Sherazade was born in Paris, France to parents of French and Algerian heritage. She moved to the United States in 1984. Sherazade’s native language is French.

Beatriz Hernández de Fuhr
Mentor Network Program Coordinator, KVINFO

Beatriz is a journalist and a researcher with KVINFO, The Danish Centre for Information on Women and Gender, a modern self-governing institution dedicated to bringing women’s politics and women’s research to the forefront of cultural debate in Denmark. Beatriz has worked many years with building partnerships for international cooperation and program development, and now she is part of KVINFO’s national Mentor Network for women from all ethnic backgrounds, a program which has more than 4000 members representing over 125 nationalities - the largest of its kind in the world. Beatriz was born in Caracas, Venezuela, and her mother tongue is Spanish. She has been living in Copenhagen for the past six years.

A waterfront study tour at the Copenhagen Metropolis ( and it’s still day 1… ) led to the Centre for Information on Women and Gender (KVINFO) in Copenhagen’s stunning new national library, the Diamant.  KVINFO offers information and resources on women and society in Denmark, gender research, legislation, women’s history, notable women and much more. KVINFO has also created a unique Mentor Network that pairs up refugee and immigrant women with women who are firmly established members of the Danish society.

KVINFO’s sparkling director, Elisabeth Møller Jensen, started the mentoring program with a vision of Denmark as “one big workplace and network of working women” and a personal letter to 300 professional women across all sectors inviting their participation. Today, KVINFO’s Mentor Network involves more than 4.000 participants all over Denmark, and according to David Clutterbuck - one of Europe’s most respected thinkers in the field of mentoring and coaching - it is the largest of its kind.

Why so much success? The KVINFO model was well researched, based on a successful mentoring model for skilled immigrants from Toronto, tweaked by mentoring approach of US private sector business culture, but anchored in the feminist values of mutual recognition, flat interpersonal power structures and a rigorous commitment to openness and inclusion. As staff member Beatriz Hernández remarks “when the concept of “the other” is taken out of the equation, everybody wins.”

We are keeping our eye on the Good Idea! Look out for an announcement from KVINFO about their upcoming Mentoring Conference and work with Denmark’s immigrant entrepreneurs –men and women, too!

Day 1 September 14, 2009. Study tours are a special feature of Metropolis this annual conference and give visitors a window into local migration issues.

Yesterday I visited the Hotspot in the suburban Copenhagen neighbourhood of ‘Sjælør,’ where the immigrant population is 50% and 80% in several of the public housing complexes (compared to the city average of 25%). A two-year project funded by the City of Copenhagen to address rising crime levels among youth and to reduce a sense of insecurity and isolation felt by local residents, the Hotspot was modeled on a police-led initiative in Rotterdam. Although Copenhagen’s project has been positioned as a “security” project by local authorities (with an eye on the upcoming 2010 election) rather than an integration initiative, project leader Jørgen Eriksen and his staff focus on long term objectives that are include labour market affiliation and improved learning outcomes for the community’s youth.

This means coordinating a range of programmes -youth, education, employment, social services as well as policing-that will help make a beautiful, but overcrowded and resource-poor community feel more like home, free of fear and open to the institutions and advantages of a fully integrated urban neighbourhood. Better lighting at the train station in the plan, too!

In the Danish city of Copenhagen, one in three residents uses a bike for their commute and each day, they cycle over 1.2 million kilometers around the city. In fact, there are actually more bikes in Copenhagen than inhabitants.

Cycling is an intrinsic part of the daily life of the city and one that the local government strongly supports. Copenhagen spends on average DKK 165 per resident a year (equivalent of CD 34) on improving road infrastructure and safety and in 2008, Copenhagen was selected as the best Danish city for cycling.

Copenhagen has also incorporated cycling into the physical planning of the city, and hopes to have 50% of residents cycling to school or work by 2015.

In addition, the city is working to deliberately expand the groups from which they recruit these residents by reaching out to newcomers to make them a part of this movement.

A newcomer’s ability to participate in the popular activities of a city can be pivotal to their comfort and engagement level and learning to ride a bicycle is a skill not taught in all countries.

The Danish Red Cross realized that by providing immigrants with the ability to participate and enjoy a unique aspect of Danish life (Danes cycle more than any other Western population), they would also be helping them to adjust and physically engage in the life of the city.

Danish Red Cross volunteers teach newcomer adults how to cycle, the rules of the road, and how to repair bicycles. The classes are free for immigrants, asylum seekers, and refugees. Most of the participants are older immigrant and refugee women who come from countries where women do not traditionally ride bikes.

The classes are also an opportunity for Danes to share their skills and culture with newcomers and provide a chance for both groups to socialize and share this national past time.

The bike riding classes are popular with newcomer communities since cycling is cheaper than both cars and public transportation and can also help increase employability of newcomers (as certain jobs in the care sector require certification that the applicant can ride a bike).

But most of all, the cycling lessons allow newcomers to develop physical ownership of their city and to move freely and confidently through the streets of Copenhagen along side their neighbours.

Meet Vitaliy Vysotskiy.
Education: A PhD in Applied Mathematics.
Experience: Over ten years as a statistician and researcher.
Immigrated from: Russia.
First job in the US: Part-time attendant at the local laundromat.

Meet Clara Ines Tures.
Education: Degree in Law, Diploma in International Law & Human Rights.
Experience: Three years as an attorney with the Ministry of Education.
Immigrated from: Columbia.
First job in the US: Part time Spanish tutor.

Frequently, even a professional education and previous experience are just not enough to transition professional immigrants into the local work force.

The reason? A lack of local networks, a resume that looks unfamiliar, or cultural differences that interfere with first impressions in a job interview and create barriers for even the most motivated and qualified new immigrant.

The result? Candidates like Vitaliy and Clara may end up taking jobs for which they are highly overqualified, thus depriving themselves, their families and their new communities of the full contribution they could be making.

Breaking the cycle

The longer a new immigrant is employed at work unrelated to their professional background, the more difficult it becomes to transition back into a professional track, or the position level their skills deserve.

This spiral of wasted talent is what Upwardly Global is working to prevent. Upwardly Global is a nonprofit organization in New York City that is taking a two-pronged approach to the problem. Upwardly Global works directly with highly skilled immigrants to help them reclaim their careers as well as with employers seeking to leverage the diversity of this new talent pool. Upwardly Global provides both employers and employees with the tools needed to create a more inclusive - and effective- employment market.

The Upwardly Global Approach

Waspada Peranginangin (JPMorgan Chase case study)

Upwardly Global has designed a practical program that enables immigrant professionals in financial services, consulting, engineering, healthcare and business to understand how to adapt and to ultimately succeed at securing a professional job in the United States.

The program is free and involves: advice on writing resume and cover letters, workshops in American such as job search strategies and interviewing skills. Through Upwardly Global, new immigrants also receive introductions to American professionals in their sector so that they can start building their personal networks.

For Vitaliy Vysotskiy, it was these personal relationships that ultimately helped him leave behind his time at the Laundromat and return to his work in applied mathematics. He recalls, “I received tremendous help from Upwardly Global. They gave me a lot of attention: they essentially improved the quality of my professional resume, helped me create cover letters, and gave good training and advice for interviews by meetings, phone and e-mail. My Upwardly Global mentor, Rishi Diwan, introduced me other professionals in my area and according to this acquaintance I found a professional job.” Today Vitaliy is a software engineer with Hyperion Solutions Corporation.

Clara’s success story is similar.  Through an informational interview with Diana Otero, an Upwardly Global alumi, (one of the strengths of the Upwardly Global program is their success with encouraging past participants to stay involved through the Alumni Club), Clara began a volunteer assignment with Catholic Charities in San Francisco.  This eventually became a paid position as an immigration advocate working with refugees, many from Latin America.

In addition to helping individuals like Clara and Vitaliy, Upwardly Global also works towards systemic change by helping business appreciate the bottom line benefits of a diversified workforce. Upwardly Global provides companies such as JP Morgan Chase, Google and Deloitte with the strategic tools and advice to enable them to not only recruit but also retain highly qualified foreign born talent.

Members of Upwardly Global’s Employer Network receive handpicked candidates relevant to their needs and can also access a database of qualified Jobseekers. Upwardly Global has also developed interactive workshops and an employer tool kit to help them understand how to maximize the unique insight and business potential and value of foreign trained professional. This includes understanding how to contextualise and evaluate resumes with foreign trained education, skills and experience, insight into conducting culturally sensitive interviews

History

Upwardly Global’s story is as inspiring as that of their candidates. After leaving her full-time job in a national refugee settlement agency, the founder, Jane Leu began Upwardly Global at her kitchen table and with a borrowed laptop. Her vision was to prevent professional immigrants from being trapped by short-term solutions on the margins of mainstream employment.

By 2006, Upwardly Global was serving the entire NY metropolitan area, including the 5 boroughs, New Jersey and Connecticut. Today Upwardly Global has offices in New York, Chicago and San Francisco.

Success

To date, Upwardly Global has coached jobseekers from more than 94 countries and developed ongoing relationships with more than 70 employers.

Upwardly Global’s Interactive Cross Cultural Interviewing Tool has received international recognition for its ability to help users recognize how cultural differences can result in misunderstandings and suggests specific behavior to improve how candidates from different cultures are interviewed.

Upwardly Global’s dual approach to changing the experience of immigrant professionals has been recognised with numerous awards including: Ashoka: Innovators for the Public, Spelman College, Legacy of Leadership Bridge-Builder Award in 2007, The John F. Kennedy New Frontier Award in 2006, the Manhattan Institute Social Entrepreneur Award in 2004 as well as the HR Symposium, Partners in Innovation Award in 2004. Their success has also been featured in numerous media outlets including CNN News, Business Week and The Wall Street Journal.

Story Update:
Congratulations! Upwardly Global has just been recognized by the Migration Policy Institute as one of the 2010 Winners of the E Pluribus Unum Awards.  The E Pluribus Unum Awards were established to recognise initiatives working to strengthen the relationship between native and foreign born Americans in order to create stronger and more supportive communities.

How a city presents itself to its residents and visitors is a good reflection of how it sees its past, its present and its future. It is also a good position from which to develop its local business development priorities and tourism strategy.

In addition to classic sites such as the Peace Palace (Vredespaleis in Dutch) and the Mauritshuis museum, visitors to The Hague are also encouraged to experience the contribution and culture of the over 123 nationalities and ethnic groups living within the city. This expanded tourism focus is the result of the City Mondial program.

City Mondial is a multicultural tourist information centre that offers walking tours to introduce visitors (and residents) to Turkish mosques, Hindu temples and the local multicultural markets located within the Hague. The walking tours also go through the diverse neighbourhoods of the city, such as the Schilderswijk, Transvaal and Stationsbuurt - where more than 80% of the population are of non-Dutch ethnic background.

A Deliberate Decision…

The creation of the City Mondial program was part of the Hague’s strategy to use the international character of the city to increase where and how tourism dollars were being spent

Working with local entrepreneurs and businesses, the local government used City Mondial to offer fun opportunities for both residents and tourists to learn more about the different cultures that have settled in the city and simultaneously support more local business development.

City Mondial offers a variety of programs including guided tours through Chinatown or through the Transvaal area to see the Indian goldsmith shops and visit the Ram Mandir Hindu temple. One of the most popular programs is a chef-led visit to the De HaguesMarkt (the biggest market in Europe) to pick out the ingredients for special ethnic dishes to use later in a City Mondial organized cooking class.

Impact…

In addition to creating stronger ties between local government and the different ethnic communities - City Mondial has also brought significant new purchasing power into these areas.

Neighborhoods featured as part of they City Mondial tour offer have received over 200,000 visitors a year and seen a 60% increase in the number of businesses in the area.

The City Mondial program has also encouraged Hague residents to become more involved with their surroundings and promotes engagement and citizenship within the city by helping to foster understanding and bonds between cultures.

Rabin Baldewsingh, Deputy Mayor for Citizenship explained, “This bond should form a bridge between residents with one another and residents with their neighbourhood and the local government.”

Wednesday, September 16th, 16:00-17:30

From Cities of Migration to Open Cities: travelling with diversity towards prosperity

Join Cities of Migration and the Open Cities initiative (British Council) at the 2009 International Metropolis Conference in Copenhagen for a lively exchange of ideas about ‘why cities matter’ under the larger conference theme of “Migration and Mobility, National Responses to Cultural Diversity.”

In this session participants will hear about two separate but connected initiatives that predicate a city’s success in its ability to internationalise its markets, culture, institutions and people. Open Cities will present a paper on city leadership and governance strategy, drawing on lessons from Auckland, Dublin, Los Angeles, Stuttgart and Toronto. Cities of Migration will examine the example of Toronto in greater depth and demonstrate how leadership, diversity, and prosperity are correlated.

Presenters:

• Carolina Jiménez (Open Cities, British Council, Spain)
• Mark Kleinman (Open Cities, United Kingdom) in personal capacity
• Ratna Omidvar (Maytree Foundation, Canada)
• Chair: Kim Turner, Cities of Migration (Maytree Foundation, Canada)

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Maytree’s Ratna Omidvar will also be presenting at another session hosted by the Stiftung Mercator:

Wednesday, September 16th, 14:00-15:30

Ventured and gained! Innovative ways that foundations influence integration policy

At the 13th International Metropolis Conference 2008, Ratna Omidvar explained why “foundations are more than money”. In this workshop, representatives of foundations who have launched outstanding projects in immigration and cultural diversity will discuss their strategies with researchers in the sciences and humanities. Presenting examples from different countries, this workshop highlights the wide variety of strategies foundations have in responding to immigration, high mobility and cultural diversity, as well as influencing national politics.

• Phoebe Griffith (Barrow Cadbury Trust, United Kingdom)
• Dr Holger Kolb, (Expert Council of German Foundations on Integration and Migration, Germany)
• Ratna Omidvar (Maytree Foundation, Canada)
• Dr Jens Schneider (TIES project, The Netherlands)
• Chair: Anorthe Kremers (Stiftung Mercator, Germany)

Registration to this conference is still open if you didn’t register already. For more information please visit www.metropolis2009.org.