Economic Empowerment for Refugees and Migrants – Intern

IRC Background: The IRC in Northern California was established in 1975 in response to the needs of

the growing refugee population. Over the past 40 years the IRC has resettled nearly 60,000 clients in Northern California. Originally focused on reception and placement the IRC provides a range of

services including economic empowerment, immigration, community gardening, and case

management for victims of trafficking. IRC’s Economic Empowerment programming focuses on

connecting individuals to employment opportunities in an effort to lead them down the path of self

sufficiency. This is accomplished through a combination of employment services, financial education and coaching, and access to public benefits and income supports.

Internship Summary: The Economic Empowerment Intern will support the Economic Empowerment

team with case management, financial counseling, job placement assistance, and ensuring that

clients are accessing the full range of supportive services available to them.

Learning Objectives:

• Gain a clear and nuanced picture of the early financial lives of refugees and newcomers to the Bay

Area

• Gain firsthand experience and knowledge of the refugee resettlement process. This includes

learning the processes and protocols required of an international refugee nonprofit, the challenges

newly arrived refugees face, and the network of public assistance programs offered in Northern

California.

• Gain nonprofit professional experience. IRC interns leave their internship with transferable skills that

can help launch a career within the nonprofit sector.

COMMITMENT:

• 15 – 30 hours per week

• in-person / hybrid

• IRC is committed to working with student schedules. We will accommodate time off necessary

for midterms and school holidays, and altering weekly schedules to adapt to changing class

schedules.

Major Responsibilities:

• Provide job readiness and job search coaching to clients preparing to enter the US job market. •

Assist clients in creating resumes and cover letters and submitting job applications

• Help clients prepare for job interviews

• Work 1:1 with clients on a variety of basic personal finance topics such as how to open a bank

account, how to read a paystub, and the difference between a debit card and a credit card.

• Assist clients in the field with basic tasks such as helping them open a bank account, visit the

County Benefits Office to submit documentation, ride the bus, etc.

• Support with data entry tasks

Position Requirements

• Meet pre-agreed weekly time commitments

• Attend all required team meetings and regularly scheduled check-ins with your internship

supervisor

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience working with diverse and/or low income populations preferred

• Self- starter with excellent problem solving skills combined with the proven ability to multi-task,

prioritize duties, and manage time effectively

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

• Fluency in Spanish, Dari, Farsi, Pashto, Tigrinya, Arabic, or Amharic preferred.

• Based in the San Francisco Bay Area/ Oakland and available for in-person work

Working Environment:

• Standard office work environment with regular travel throughout the service delivery area