ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — Dozens of immigrants and refugees filled a conference room in Rock Island Thursday, all ready to get to work.
It was part of a job fair held by IowaWORKS and World Relief connecting new arrivals with potential employers in the Quad Cities.
Edgar Ramirez is the refugee workforce liaison at IowaWORKS. He helps immigrants across the state find work.
"The reason they want to work is because they want that belonging," Ramirez said. "They want that shirt that has the logo of their employer, and that gives them the belonging — belonging to a community, belonging to a group."
Ramirez said Iowa is one of the top states for job-seekers right now — from outside and inside the country. He said Iowa received about 5,000 immigrants in the past year.
"Every employer I talk to, regardless of where I'm at in the state of Iowa, they're looking for people," Ramirez said.
One of those employers is Carthage System, a swine management company. For recruiter Carlos Himan, immigrant outreach is personal.
"This is very close to my heart because of my being first generation Mexican-American," Himan said.
He said more than 60% of Carthage's team members come from other countries.
"I honestly will say that it's making our company — not only our company but the communities we operate in — very diverse," Himan said.
Ramirez said immigrants who need help finding employment can reach out to IowaWORKS to be connected with the appropriate resources.
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