The International Rescue Committee (IRC) announced a major collaboration with the Intel Foundation that will provide 1,000 refugees in Germany with skills training and employment services. Titled Project CORE: Creating Opportunities for Refugee Employment, the program will equip individuals in Germany with critical skills in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and other in-demand sectors of the German economy.

“It is exciting and encouraging to see that opportunities are being extended to refugees living in the country,” said David Miliband, president and CEO of the International Rescue Committee. “The collaboration between the IRC and Intel Foundation provides individuals with an opportunity to gain critical skills in the most in-demand sectors of the German economy, allowing them to find a job and integrate into their new communities. We are grateful to the Intel Foundation for their commitment and leadership to refugee job training and integration. The work we will do together epitomizes the power of partnerships to develop the right solutions and create meaningful impact.”  

Since the start of 2015, over 1.5 million people have arrived in Germany seeking asylum. The IRC has been working in Germany since July 2016, and is responsible for engagement with the German government, civil society organizations and leading think tanks on global humanitarian assistance. The IRC is also sharing its expertise in education for refugee children and youth, the special protection needs of women fleeing crisis, and ways to prepare refugees to join the workforce and contribute to their new communities.

In January, employees from Intel’s U.S. offices traveled to Germany to train IRC’s local partner organizations - Digital Career Institute, Zentrum für Arbeit & Umwelt Giessen, St. Thomas Realschule Andernach and Jobcenter Mayen-Koblenz - on best practices and learning techniques to train individuals in ICT and other skills.

In addition to the trainings for local partners, the multifaceted program consists of:

“The Intel Foundation’s investment in Project CORE aims to deliver a transformative workforce development and empowerment program that utilizes technology curricula and hands-on innovation experiences, to provide more opportunities for refugees and the communities they serve,” said Rosalind Hudnell, President of the Intel Foundation.

For additional information about the IRC, please visit www.rescue.org. For more information about the Intel Foundation, please visit their website here.