Daley College to Receive Support From World Education Services to Expand Opportunities for Immigrants

Richard J. Daley College was recently selected as one of only three organizations across the U.S. to participate in the third cohort of World Education Services’ Skilled Immigrant Integration Program (SIIP) Demonstration Opportunity. Through the initiative, Daley College will receive advanced technical assistance, program development, and financial support from WES as the college works to expand opportunities for immigrants and refugees through the Chicago Welcome Back Center.

According to a press release from WES, “Richard J. Daley College empowers its diverse community to achieve goals through innovative education and programming in a supportive, inclusive, and equitable environment for lifelong learning. The college is home to the Center for Equity in Immigrant Integration and recently opened the Chicago Welcome Back Center. The Chicago Welcome Back Center will widen its focus beyond health care careers to include internationally educated immigrants, asylum-seekers, and refugees hoping to return to or enter the teaching profession.”

Group photo of six individuals standing behind a poster that reads "Welcome Back Initiative." — Leaders from City Colleges of Chicago, the Chicago Mayor’s Office, the State of Illinois, and the Welcome Back Initiative gather at the announcement of the Chicago Welcome Back Center on August 16, 2022.

The Chicago Welcome Back Center (CWBC) was launched at Daley College’s satellite campus, Arturo Velasquez Institute, in August 2022 in partnership with the Chicago Bilingual Nurse Consortium. Based on the national Welcome Back Initiative’s model, for nearly one year, the CWBC has supported immigrants with professional degrees obtained abroad as they work to re-enter their profession or establish a related career in the state of Illinois. Specifically, the CWBC has assisted participants in exploring and pursuing careers in healthcare while they are on the path towards licensure, offering case management and support services, as well as referrals to educational, community, and professional programs and organizations.

To learn more about World Education Services’ Skilled Immigrant Integration Program (SIIP) Demonstration Opportunity, read the full press release from WES: www.impact-wes.org/demo-2023