Studies
This library hosts materials developed by Switchboard and by former Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR)-funded technical assistance (TA) providers (most in fiscal years 2016-2018, with selected earlier materials). This library links materials externally where: their formats were incompatible with internal hosting; they were developed by current ORR-funded TA providers; or they were developed by non-ORR funded authors who granted permission for the links.
Author Definitions
Academic Preparedness and Exposure to Agriculture and Natural Resources Majors and Careers for Migrant Farmworker College Students through Customized Classroom Instruction
Publication Year:
Outcome area(s): Workforce integration
Intervention(s): College program to facilitate entry into the agricultural workspace.
Relevant ORR Program(s): Refugee Career Pathways
Direction of Evidence: Positive impact
Strength of Evidence: Suggestive
Type of Study: Suggestive evidence
Since 2001, the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) at Michigan State University has been recruiting and graduating first-generation Latino and Haitian college students from migrant farmworker (MFW) backgrounds to help them break the cycles of migration, low educational attainment, and poverty. In partnership with CAMP, the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) at Michigan …
Working toward aspirations: how higher education learning-working trajectories for refugees in the Netherlands support work-related capabilities
Publication Year:
Outcome area(s): Workforce integration
Intervention(s): Higher educational vocational training program.
Relevant ORR Program(s): Refugee Career Pathways
Direction of Evidence: Positive impact
Strength of Evidence: Suggestive
Type of Study: Suggestive evidence
Refugees face multiple barriers to employment, such as previous work experience and qualifications not recognized. The Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences offers a higher vocational education and training (VET) dual program for highly-skilled refugees, in which education and work is combined. After completion of the two-year program, participants have gained new skills, learned (vocational) language, …
Teens in the Somali Diaspora: An Evaluative Program Study
Publication Year:
Outcome area(s): Workforce integration
Intervention(s): STEAM summer program for Somali youth
Relevant ORR Program(s): Refugee Career Pathways
Direction of Evidence: Positive impact
Strength of Evidence: Suggestive
Type of Study: Suggestive evidence
Program evaluation is a critical part of program sustainability because evaluation can inform improvements and document impact. Here, 2 Minnesota organizations came together in partnership with the Somali American community to work toward a shared vision, which was to develop a new sustainable program that prepared refugee and immigrant youth for their educational and workforce …
Teens in the Somali Diaspora: An Evaluative Program Study Read More »
Entry to hospitality careers for women and beyond: Immigrant training and feminist pedagogies and practices
Publication Year:
Outcome area(s): Workforce integration
Intervention(s): Vocational training program.
Relevant ORR Program(s): Refugee Career Pathways
Direction of Evidence: Positive impact
Strength of Evidence: Suggestive
Type of Study: Suggestive evidence
Employment training services are provided for immigrants to integrate them into the Canadian labour market. Evaluated on short-term labour market outcomes, these programs typically focus on enhancing individuals’ employability, while risking naturalizing and reproducing the dominant social and cultural order. Entry to Hospitality Careers for Women is a government-funded program based on a partnership between a community …
Vocational Training for Adolescent English Language Learners in Newcomer Programs: Opportunities or Isolation?
Publication Year:
Outcome area(s): Workforce integration
Intervention(s): English language course combined with vocational training.
Relevant ORR Program(s): Refugee Career Pathways
Direction of Evidence: Positive impact
Strength of Evidence: Suggestive
Type of Study: Suggestive evidence
This article presents findings from a qualitative study of newly arrived immigrant students attending mainstream vocational courses through a high school newcomer program in the southern United States. As educators turn to vocational options for instructing linguistically diverse students, this project carefully considers how students experience participation in such programs. This project considers the questions: …
Predictors of Unemployment in Refugees
Publication Year:
Outcome area(s): Workforce integration
Intervention(s): Vocational training
Relevant ORR Program(s): Refugee Career Pathways
Direction of Evidence: Positive impact
Strength of Evidence: Suggestive
Type of Study: Suggestive evidence
Refugees have an increased risk of unemployment. We initially examined 83 unemployed refugees in Austria (mean age 34.01 years, s = 10.04), 42 of whom attended vocational training courses and 41 of whom did not. At the time of assessment some months later, 37 participants (44.6%) were employed and 46 (55.4%) were unemployed. We used sociodemographic variables …
Young refugees in prevocational preparation classes : Who is moving on to the next step?
Publication Year:
Outcome area(s): Workforce integration
Intervention(s): Langauge training and pre-vocational training
Relevant ORR Program(s): Refugee Career Pathways
Direction of Evidence: Positive impact
Strength of Evidence: Suggestive
Type of Study: Suggestive evidence
Since 2015, an enormous number of refugees have migrated to Germany. To obtain qualifi ed jobs, many of them attend prevocational preparation classes. The aims of these classes are mainly the acquisition of German language skills and preparation for subsequent vocational education and training. This paper examines (1) the transitions of young refugees after prevocational …
Young refugees in prevocational preparation classes : Who is moving on to the next step? Read More »
The effect of a career development programme based on the Hope-Action Theory: Hope to Work for refugees in British Columbia
Publication Year:
Outcome area(s): Workforce integration
Intervention(s): Career development training
Relevant ORR Program(s): Refugee Career Pathways
Direction of Evidence: No impact
Strength of Evidence: Moderate
Type of Study: Impact evaluation
The purpose of this study was to assess the proximal and distal outcomes of a career development training programme for refugees that was developed based on the Hope-Action Theory (HAT). Adopting an experimental design, proximal outcomes such as self-efficacy, hope-action competencies, job search clarity, and career adaptability were assessed three times; and distal outcomes including …
Free Full TextA case study of financial literacy and wellbeing of immigrants in Lloydminster, Canada.
Publication Year:
Outcome area(s): Economic empowerment
Outcome(s): Financial Capabilities
Intervention(s): None
Relevant ORR Program(s): Not applicable
Direction of Evidence: No evidence about impact
Strength of Evidence: Suggestive
Type of Study: Suggestive evidence
The sources of financial literacy education accessible to immigrants to Canada and the link between immigrant’s financial literacy and financial decisions could impact their welfare and Canada’s population growth negatively. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study was to explore sources of immigrant’s financial literacy education immediately they arrive Canada and the link between …
A case study of financial literacy and wellbeing of immigrants in Lloydminster, Canada. Read More »
Paid Full TextThe effectiveness of smartphone apps in improving financial capability.
Publication Year:
Outcome area(s): Economic empowerment
Outcome(s): Financial Capabilities
Intervention(s): Smartphone app
Relevant ORR Program(s): Matching Grant
Direction of Evidence: Positive impact
Strength of Evidence: Moderate
Type of Study: Impact evaluation
This study is the first to assess whether smartphone apps can be utilised to improve financially capable behaviours. In this study four smartphone apps, packaged together under the title ‘Money Matters’, were provided to working-age members (16–65 years) of the largest credit union in Northern Ireland (Derry Credit Union). The smartphone apps consisted of a …
The effectiveness of smartphone apps in improving financial capability. Read More »
