Restarting his life and career in the capital of the world was not easy for 28-year-old Juan Beltrán, who, thanks to a New York State program, was able to fulfill his dream of working here.
“Wow, I’m in New York working in advertising, which was Juan’s dream of five years ago,” Beltrán said.
Coming from his native Colombia more than three years ago, Juan never thought he could perform what he studied in his country.
But his desire to excel led him to navigate difficult routes that could help him land a job that matched his skills and experiences, until he found the ‘Professional Pathways’.
“You feel a lot of happiness and you feel a lot of pride, it’s something that is difficult to explain sometimes,” added Beltrán. “Because sometimes you don’t think you are capable of achieving this and sometimes it is simply required as work and to believe in yourself and not wait for something to happen and things happen to you, but to always be on the move.”
The program, which began as a pilot in 2021, was extended this year throughout the state with an investment of $4.3 million to help immigrants like Beltrán. To qualify and connect them with the tools needed to enter the workforce.
“We are trying to connect people who have a lot of experience, but when they come to this state and this country they are doing the work that they have to do on a daily basis to survive, but they are not really connecting with the industries that need their services, and to better to use their expertise and education that they bring with them,” explained Robert Rodriguez, New York Secretary of State.
The extension and investment comes amid a growing labor shortage in the country. In New York, the state’s unemployment rate stood at 4.3% in January and has yet to fully recover since the start of the pandemic.
The program is specifically designed for fields that currently need workers including architecture, engineering, technology, education, social work, economics, business management, and journalism.
Those who qualify:
-Arrived in the US in the last ten years
-Have a bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional training
-Speak English at an intermediate or advanced level
-Reside in New York State
-Have some kind of immigration status
If you or someone you know needs assistance connecting with programs, you can call the New Americans Hotline at 1-800-566-7636 or visit the website professionalpathwaysprogram.org
And although Beltrán still thinks that what he is living is a dream, since taking the train and arriving at his office in the financial district, he has not stopped dreaming.
“One of my biggest projects is that some of my advertisements, well, some of the projects that I work for, well, go out in Times Square and see one of my bells there would be like a dream come true,” Beltrán said.
