Success Stories and helpful tools in Hiring Asylees, Immigrants and Refugees

    August 26th, 2019

    Featuring specials presenters: IER Trial Attorney, Jasmin Lott – U.S. Department of Justice, Angie & Dan Bastian, and Colette Drager

    MANKATO, MINN. – Greater Mankato Growth is partnering with the Minnesota Department of Human Services Resettlement Programs Office in hosting a training forum for employers in the area on Wednesday, September 11th from 7:45 – 10:30 am in Conference Center A at South Central College in North Mankato. The presenters include the Founders and past Vice President of Human Resources of BOOMCHICKAPOP and a representative from the U.S. Department of Justice, Immigrant and Employee Rights Section.

    In this tight labor market, employers need good and dependable employees and a good source of potential talent can be authorized noncitizens, including people with refugee and asylee status. However, it can be complicated for employers and individuals to understand the rules, processes and the documents that the government provides and uses for these workers. To help employers navigate these issues, Greater Mankato Growth is hosting this workshop featuring both government experts and business leaders who successfully grew their workforce by employing asylees, immigrants and refugees.

    Patrick Baker, Vice President and Director of Government and Institutional Affairs, stated “Given the workforce shortages we’re experiencing across the region, it’s essential that employers are equipped to employ the entire talent pool available to them. Our goal in partnering with our stakeholders on this event is to offer support for our area employers and human resource professionals in more successfully navigating how to employ immigrants, refugees and asylees.” He went on to say, “The team of presenters will answer questions and offer guidance to hopefully avoid common misunderstandings of the law regarding noncitizens who are authorized to work in the U.S.”

    This event is free and open to the public. Please register here.

    Agenda:

    • 7:45 am: Light breakfast/registration
    • 8:00 am: Welcome
    • 8:15 am: IER Trial Attorney, Jasmin Lott, U.S. Department of Justice will facilitate an employer training for hiring and onboarding refugees and immigrants
    • 9:50 -10:30 am: Panel discussion and Q&A with Angie Bastian, Dan Bastian and Colette Drager sharing how Angie’s BOOMCHICKAPOP grew their workforce in training, hiring and onboarding asylees, refugees and immigrants

    We would like to give special thanks to our co-hosts: Minnesota Department of Human Services and U.S. Department of Justice, Minnesota Council of Churches, SMAHRA, Angie and Dan Bastian – Founders of BOOMCHICKAPOP, MRCI and Region 9.

    About Greater Mankato Growth, Inc.

    Greater Mankato Growth, Inc. (GMG) is comprised of four business units; Greater Mankato Growth, the regional chamber of commerce and economic development organization serving the regional marketplace; Visit Mankato, the local convention and visitor’s bureau; City Center Partnership, a downtown development organization; and GreenSeam, which utilizes agriculture to build on the region’s extensive agribusiness assets to develop the ag economy.