In May, 2017, the IRC in Abilene conducted a Production Vocational Training. In Abilene, TX, production facilities are among the top employers of newly arrived refugees. Every year, the office teaches a production-themed training to help clients attain the necessary job skills for this particular industry.

Refugee clients in Abilene participate in a skill building workshop.
Refugee clients in Abilene participate in a skill building workshop.

During the week long class, clients learned about work safety, production lines, the work environment of factories, as well as various potential job duties in a factory. On the second day of the training, the class made their own production line. Stocked with glue, crayons, cups, and plates, the teams set to work. In order to demonstrate the efficacy of production lines, one team was designed to emulate a production line, while the other was not. By the time the first team completed the assigned task, the second had only finished one styrofoam craft!

Later in the week, the class went to Pactiv, a local production facility. During the fieldtrip, the students toured the facility, were given the chance to ask workers and supervisors questions, and filled out and submitted applications to the factory. Students expressed that production facilities worked differently than expected; factories were more modern and technologically advanced. IRC clients were also inspired by the opportunity for advancement and upward mobility within the company.

As a result of this training, each client has improved job-specific English, practical skills, and after merely three weeks, each participant is employed at a local production facility. 

Thank you to Pactiv for partnering with the IRC in Abilene. If you or your company want to partner with the IRC, please contact us at [email protected].