Sandy Springs-based shipping giant UPS and InterContinental Hotels Group with its Americas office in Dunwoody have both pledged to hire or create economic opportunities for Afghan refugees as part of a coalition of more than 30 companies.
The move comes as employers struggle to fill job openings amid a nationwide labor shortage. UPS just started hiring 100,000 temporary workers across the country for the busy holiday shipping season.
This week, UPS and IHG were among 33 companies including Amazon, Facebook, Pfizer and Tyson Foods that said they would join the Tent Coalition for Afghan Refugees to create economic opportunities for Afghans who resettle in the United States.
The Tent Partnership for Refugees, which is leading the coalition to help Afghan refugees and was founded by Chobani CEO Hamdi Ulukaya, said companies will offer jobs, training and other resources to help Afghans “integrate into the American economy.”
UPS could offer seasonal jobs for the peak holiday shipping period, which could turn into permanent jobs after the season is over, or professional jobs for those with advanced degrees and professional backgrounds, said UPS spokesman Dan McMackin.
“Frankly, we need people,” McMackin said. Once it’s known where the refugees would be resettled, the company would begin outreach with recruiting staff, he said.
Hotels nationwide are also struggling to hire enough employees for a rebound in business. The Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau has produced employee recruitment videos featuring local hotel workers talking about how much they enjoy working in the industry.
InterContinental Hotels Group said it will roll out work readiness and skills programs for refugees, and said it has jobs at IHG hotels for front-line positions in food and beverage, housekeeping, operations support and other areas.
Tent Coalition for Afghan Refugees
Accenture, the Adecco Group, Amazon, APCO, Bain & Company, Bright Horizons Family Solutions, Chobani, Coursera, Deloitte, Facebook, Gap Inc., General Assembly, Henry Schein, Inc., Hilton, HP, IHG Hotels & Resorts, Ipsos, Jacobs, Kleen-Tech, Mastercard, Panda Express, Pfizer, Rejuvenation – a Williams-Sonoma, Inc. brand, ServiceNow, Sitel Group®, Sodexo, Tripadvisor, Tyson Foods, Uber, UPS, US Xpress, Wayfair, and Western Union.
Source: Tent Partnership for Refugees
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