Pictured: TBB staff signing up Afghan evacuees to the Talent Catalog at a US military base.

In 2021, in the aftermath of the fall of Kabul, TBB launched Afghan Talent and deployed its Talent Catalog - a bespoke database that allows refugees to document their skills and experience - to accelerate Afghan newcomers’ route to meaningful employment in the United States.

TBB secured one year of funding to register Afghan newcomers on the Afghan Talent platform and assist a range of partners connecting registered candidates with skills training and job matching opportunities. Afghan Talent also aimed to generate a fuller picture of the talents, skills, and occupations of this group of newcomers and to mobilize U.S. employers to hire Afghan job candidates. In the long term, Afghan Talent intended to build a positive narrative around the professional contributions of Afghan newcomers, and to pave the way for new skilled labor pathways in the United States for refugees.

Outcomes and impact

The Afghan Talent Initiative clearly demonstrated that U.S.-based employers are eager to explore innovative hiring pathways, demonstrated by more than 65 employers seeking to hire Afghan newcomers through the Afghan Talent program. In turn, Afghan newcomers are eager to find jobs. The program successfully showed that, with proper support for candidates and employer buy-in, refugees and other newcomers can fill much-needed roles.

Key outcomes of the Afghan Talent initiative included:

• 3,782 candidates registered through Afghan Talent between Nov. 1, 2021, and Aug. 1, 2022.

• 65 employers reviewed 443 candidates’ profiles for opportunities aligned with candidate backgrounds and experiences.

• Afghan Talent facilitated at least 143 job matches for candidates.

• 7 partner organizations were trained and given access to the Afghan Talent platform to provide employment matching and job training assistance to registered Afghan newcomers.

• 200+ candidates were offered training and professional development opportunities by partner organizations using the Afghan Talent platform.

Challenges

The initiative also faced several challenges:

• Many employers tracked outcomes for candidate engagement independently, meaning that the above outcomes are significantly underreported.

• Some employers viewed Afghan newcomers as a way to hire entry-level employees, while Afghan Talent candidates often sought employment using their work experience from Afghanistan. This demonstrates the need for educating employers on the skills and talents of newcomers, and of clearly communicating to candidates if there are opportunities for advancement for newcomers who take entry-level roles.

• Information about Afghan Talent candidates who registered while in Safe Havens became less accurate as candidates rapidly relocated in the United States and accepted offers for employment.

Moving forward

The need to support Afghan newcomers and refugees with employment opportunities continues. Many Afghans are still without employment or are working in roles that are not commensurate with their backgrounds and experiences.

As TBB shifts its U.S. focus to build international labor mobility pathways for refugees of all nationalities (including Afghans) who lack access to durable solutions, TBB will continue to host and maintain the Afghan Talent database for use by Afghan newcomers and organizations providing job matching and skills training.

Globally ReUp connects refugees and Afghan newcomers with skills training and job opportunities in the US job market. Honor the Promise (HTP) is led by Afghan and American veterans and assists newly-arrived members of the Afghan Special Operations community and their families as they resettle in the U.S. Together, the two organizations will continue job matching, training, and employment services for Afghan newcomers.

Upwardly Global provides innovative skill-building and networking programs to coach internationally trained professionals in rebuilding professional careers and U.S. employers in accessing their talents with inclusive hiring practices. Upwardly Global will continue to identify Afghan candidates with bachelor’s degrees for training and employment services.

TBB and these NGO partners are committed to supporting each other to continue the Afghan Talent mission of connecting Afghan newcomers to access employment opportunities. We will also carry these lessons forward to TBB’s efforts to build refugee labor mobility pathways in the United States.