Amazon, Facebook, Pfizer join coalition of 33 companies vowing to hire Afghan refugees in US
A first group of 37,000 Afghan refugees started making their way to states this month
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Amazon, Facebook and Pfizer have joined a group of 33 companies vowing to hire or help refugees coming into the U.S. from Afghanistan.
The companies joining the Tent Coalition for Afghan Refugees have agreed to provide training, jobs and other resources to the tens of thousands of Afghan evacuees who were resettled in the U.S. after the Taliban took over the country in the wake of the American troop withdrawal, a release from the Tent Partnership for Refugees said Tuesday.
Amazon specifically has already been working to help integrate refugees from various countries by making an effort to hire them at their fulfillment and transportation centers and highly skilled refugees for corporate jobs, according to the release.
"As part of our diverse workforce, Amazon continually hires immigrants and refugees across the company and we’re proud to partner with Tent [Partnership for Refugees] to extend our reach," Beth Galetti, Amazon’s Senior Vice President of People eXperience and Technology, said in a release. "We are committed to expanding and improving on these efforts and providing employment support for the refugee population, including the imminent need for Afghan refugees."
Resources offered by the company include English as a second language training, access to Amazon’s Career Choice program through which the company pays for the employee’s college tuition or high school completion and a 12-week program that trains refugees in cloud computing and helps connect them with jobs.
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Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said in a statement the company recognizes the "critical needs of people all around the world."
"We firmly believe that every individual should be heard, seen, and cared for," he said. "This is why we are proud to join the Tent Coalition for Afghan Refugees, and will be undertaking a number of projects in support of Afghan refugees and Special Immigrants – from hiring them into our workforce to mentoring Afghan refugees and preparing them for their new workplaces."
A first group of 37,000 Afghan refugees started making their way to U.S. states this month.
The coalition was founded by Hamdi Ulukaya, the founder and CEO of Chobani.
"America is at a critical juncture, and every part of our society must play its part to welcome our Afghan brothers and sisters. They have stood by our side, and we must stand by theirs," Ulukaya said in a statement. "I am so proud of the businesses stepping up today — and hope that many more will join our coalition."
He said the moment a refugee is able to get a job is "the moment they stop being a refugee. It’s the moment they can stand on their own two feet; it’s the moment they can make new friends; it’s the moment they can start a new life."
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The coalition also includes Accenture, the Adecco Group, APCO, Bain & Company, Bright Horizons Family Solutions, Chobani, Coursera, Deloitte, Gap Inc., General Assembly, Henry Schein, Inc., Hilton, HP, IHG Hotels & Resorts, Ipsos, Jacobs, Kleen-Tech, Mastercard, Panda Express, Rejuvenation – a Williams-Sonoma, Inc. brand, ServiceNow, Sitel Group®, Sodexo, Tripadvisor, Tyson Foods, Uber, UPS, US Xpress, Wayfair and Western Union.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
