Meet Patient
Patient arrived in the United States just six months before coming to PIE in search of better job opportunities and a support system that could empathize with the struggle of immigrating to the US. After completing high school and starting a job at T-Mobile Park, consultation with PIE’s Refugee Youth Mentoring Program helped Patient identify new interests and supported him in pursuing a more rewarding, higher wage career.
Patient began working with Partner in Employment’s Youth Restoration Training Crew to pursue his vision of working in nature. The program allowed him to learn about park maintenance and environmental conservation, meet new people, and explore a new field of interest, all while earning a paycheck.
After completing the program, Patient remained engaged with PIE in his search for a job that would allow him to continue on an environmental career path. With the assistance of PIE’s bi-lingual and culturally diverse team, he landed a position with the City of Tukwila’s Parks’ Maintenance division. Later, he shared the following:
“I’m still new at my current job, and I love this job. I love working outside seeing the beauty of nature and the fact that I participate in keeping nature makes me so happy. I’m looking forward to learning more new things and getting more experience and I believe I will succeed in this career.”
The team at PIE is so proud of Patient and all the work he has put into expanding his experiences and knowledge. We are constantly inspired by our clients’ perseverance, and we aim to honor their achievements by striving to improve the quality and reach of our own work within the vibrant South King County community.
Fatuma’s Story
I was a student at Highline College when I connected with Partner in Employment hoping to enroll in job training that would make me more employable in the environmental field.
I desired to learn more about nature and how we as people can help the natural world. I also wanted to become more confident in my ability to hold a job and work well with other people who I did not know. Most of all, I wanted to be able to turn this job training program into a future career.
The case managers at Partner in Employment introduced me to the Youth Restoration Training Crew. In this way, I was able to learn a ton about the environmental field and how to work on a team. I became proficient in identifying some of our native and nonnative invasive plants, and also in the removal of those invasives. Throughout the summer, I helped the team remove over 20,000 square feet of invasive plants. With my new knowledge of environmental restoration, I was able to apply for and get a job with the Washington Conservation Corps working on one of their restoration crews.Now, I am looking forward to seeing where my career in environmental restoration will lead me and am grateful to have joined PIE’s Youth Restoration Training Crew.
Meet Bagora
Bagora N. is an immigrant from The Democratic Republic of the Congo. Like many others, he was affected by the pandemic and laid off from work. When Bagora first visited the Partner in the Employment office, he was immensely stressed and disturbed by his unemployment status and the personal complications happening in his family. Bagora had lived an underprivileged life in Congo. He never had the chance to attend any school in his home country and faced many challenges during his immigration and resettlement to the US.
He was welcomed into PIE with positivity, where the case managers spoke his first language, and everyone at the PIE made sure that the vulnerable client received the support and the services he needed. Soon he was registered into PIE’s job search program and received customized support to address any job barriers alongside the job search. He was also enrolled in PIE’s ESL program, where he received constant and personalized training.
In addition to support with his job search, Bagora has also been training to enhance his soft skills, such as improving his communication skills, adapting to his new life in the US, and learning the life skills that will help him lead a successful life in the US.
PIE has provided different services to Bagora, addressing many of his needs, including transportation and rent payments. After few months of being part of PIE’s job search and ESL program, Bagora is now assertive in reviving his new life in the US. He is attending job interviews and orientations in addition to obtaining the ability to communicate his basic needs in English. Bagora successfully obtained employment with a union employer making $20/hr with potential for growth.
Looking back to when Bagora initially became PIE’s client, today, one can see a promising individual determined to work towards his future contrary to the unhappy and saddened man he used to be. Bagora success story shows PIE’s commitment to assisting clients to reach self-reliance and become vigorous members of the community.
Father and Daughter
I am a single father. Last year my daughter came from Ethiopia to live with me, but I had lost my job and was struggling to pay rent. For a while I had no income at all, and we were almost homeless. As a parent I was scared because I didn’t know how we were going to survive, but luckily my community helped me get in contact with a case manager at Partner in Employment who could speak my language.
PIE paid my rent for two months, and also got me enrolled in an aerospace manufacturing program which I just completed, and now they’re helping me with my resume so that I can get a job which will let me support my family. PIE also enrolled my daughter in their youth mentorship program so that she will continue to be successful in school, and get life success mentorship from someone who understands our culture and speaks our language. She got a job at Panda Express and got accepted to her dream school for aviation, Central Washington University.
I am so thankful for the great help and security that I’ve received from PIE – it has been a turning point for the success of my family.
