Employment Navigation and Career Development Program
Focused on newcomers to Richmond, Virginia.
The Challenge
Refugees and immigrants arriving in the U.S. face steep barriers to employment: limited English proficiency, unfamiliarity with U.S. hiring systems, gaps in digital literacy, and little to no professional network. Even clients with strong prior work experience run into employers unfamiliar with international credentials and cultural biases in hiring. ReEstablish Richmond needed an employment support model built around long-term self-sufficiency, not just short-term placement.
The Approach
PEACEWITH designed and delivered the Employment Navigation Program: individualized, relationship-centered 1:1 coaching. Each client works through a focused 6-week program covering career readiness, job search strategy, interview preparation, and facilitated introductions to employer and professional networking contacts. The same 6-week format ran in both 2025 and 2026.
Outcomes & Impact
In 2025, PEACEWITH delivered 270 hours of 1:1 coaching to 30 clients, and 60% received at least one job offer. In 2026, the same 6-week program continued. At the midpoint of the year, 17 clients had each completed the program and 65% of clients had at least one job offer (to be updated end of year).
Why This Partnership Worked
The program worked because it treated each client as an individual, not a case number. Coaching was built on a consistent 1:1 relationship, practical interview and job search preparation, and introductions into the local employer community. The same focused 6-week model ran in both years, with 60% of clients receiving a job offer in 2025 and roughly 65% at the 2026 midpoint.