Colorado’s Office of New Americans Is Elevating Immigrant Inclusion in State Government
In June 2021, Colorado’s General Assembly took a vital step forward by passing HB21-1150 with bipartisan support, creating the Colorado Office of New Americans (ONA). In creating the office, the state recognized the importance of the social and economic inclusion of its immigrant population, which comprises nearly 10 percent of the state’s population. Leveraging the power of state government and resources allowed leaders to further operationalize immigrant inclusion more effectively—and over the past three years, the Colorado ONA has done exactly that and more.
As with other state offices in the ONA network, the Colorado ONA’s foundational priority was to facilitate economic stability and invest in the success of immigrants in Colorado. By establishing the office as a “type 1 entity,” the authors of HB21-1150 enabled the office to function within the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment while maintaining direct access to the governor’s office. This gave the ONA the power to convene other state agencies, emphasizing its independence and authority to prioritize immigrant inclusion at the highest levels of state government.
Representative Iman Jodeh, one of the bill’s sponsors, says that “by recognizing the skills and expertise of Colorado’s immigrant and refugee residents, and connecting their talents to our workforce, the ONA builds greater prosperity for all Coloradans. In establishing this office, the state of Colorado demonstrates its commitment to ensure all who live here thrive.”
To support these goals, the ONA issued its Inaugural State Integration Plan, which outlines several steps and strategies to improve inclusion efforts, enhance the capacity of government and partners to serve New Americans, and implement additional statewide initiatives. In just three years, the Colorado ONA made great strides in addressing the priorities laid out by this plan.
One of the ONA’s primary objectives is to improve access to and awareness of existing resources and services. In response to the influx of new arrivals in the state, the ONA created and published a Welcome Packet containing vital information on accessing public services, obtaining legal assistance, exploring existing English language programs, and understanding employment and occupational licensure requirements. This resource built upon previous guides developed to help Afghan newcomers and other arrivals.
In compliance with HB21-1150, the office also formed a New Americans Community Advisory Committee composed of refugee and immigrant leaders from across the state. The committee ensures the state government receives valuable input and recommendations from those with lived experience.
Recognizing the impact of skills underutilization on the state’s economy and immigrant population, the ONA also worked with the state legislature to pass SB 22-140, a large workforce bill that established the Global Talent Task Force. This task force, comprised of immigrant, workforce, and business leaders, is dedicated to identifying and tackling the workforce gap, with key efforts including a review of the barriers to entry into licensed professions faced by individuals with credentials and experience gained abroad.
A second priority of the State Integration Plan is to enhance the capacity of government, community organizations, and the private sector to further the inclusion of immigrants and refugees. Following a recommendation from the Global Talent Task Force to fund workforce navigation programs specifically for immigrant and refugee job seekers, all 10 of Colorado’s local workforce centers and their workforce investment boards agreed to establish a task force on improving access to services for New Americans across the state.
Relatedly, the ONA launched a grant-funded rural initiative to improve access to programs and services for immigrants and refugees and service providers living and working in rural areas throughout the state. To further educate employers, the ONA also launched a free on-demand webinar series titled “Working with New Americans: From Recruiting to Upskilling” to enhance understanding of how to effectively hire and support immigrants and refugee employees.
The ONA builds on these efforts to further a third strategic priority: to implement new statewide opportunities to further immigrant and refugee inclusion.
In partnership with state legislators, and through SB 22-140, the ONA created the country’s first Virtual, Career-Aligned English as a Second Language (VCESL) Program. During the two years of its operation, this program provided contextualized and sector-specific adult English language courses, accessible throughout Colorado, and served as a strong first example for other program initiatives across the country. a strong first example for other program initiatives across the country.
Additionally, the ONA led efforts to craft HB 22-1050, which facilitates the reentry of internationally trained physicians into their professions in the state’s health care workforce. As part of this effort, the ONA will lead the Integration of International Medical Graduates (IMG) Program.
These numerous partnerships and wide-ranging programs demonstrate the influence and independence granted to the office as a type 1 entity and its comprehensive approach to immigrant and refugee inclusion. Other states with similar goals should consider adopting Colorado’s model to develop robust and holistic inclusive programs in their own systems. Such efforts not only ensure that states foster social and economic inclusion for all their residents, but also contribute to state economies overall.
