Sustainable Practices: Recommendations for a More Holistic Approach for Training Refugees for Successful Participation in the Workplace

The U.S. refugee resettlement program is based on the principle that resettled refugees must be self-sufficient within 18-months (U.S Department of State, 2017). Resettlement agencies fulfil this directive by offering community-based programs such as "sewn-product manufacturing training" which provide skills-building and job training. Unfortunately, this approach often uses unsustainable practices which lead to failed integration of refugees into American society via the workplace, because of the minimal support given to refugees to help them navigate unfamiliar cultural beliefs, societal and workplace norms and expectations. This study explored the holistic role stakeholders, structures and processes play in a refugee woman's participation and completion of skills-based training programs; and their influence on successful integration into the workplace.