Kawasaki Part of Workforce Training Program for Refugees

Kawasaki is one of a group of manufacturers in Lincoln, Nebraska, that is working on expanding the workforce with job skills training for immigrants and refugees trying to make a home in a new country. Kawasaki is one of 18 members of the Lincoln Manufacturing Council, which has set up classes in refugees’ native languages to teach them basic manufacturing skills. In a report on Nebraska Public Media, a class of Arabic and Kurdish speakers took an entry-level class in their native tongues.

According to the report, Kawasaki has already hired a number of refugees through the program to work at its Lincoln plant, and provides support including English classes. Kawasaki training administrator Kevin Mattran helped develop the course, according to NPM. Kawasaki put its weight behind the program in part to help refugees find “a soft place to land,” but also to address a tough labor market.

Getting new hires in the door has been a challenge, according to the story, so Kawasaki’s efforts with the LMC program benefit the company as much as it benefits the trainees. According to the story, Kawasaki in 2022 hired graduates of a program for Ukrainian refugees who moved to the States after Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022. The LMC has plans for another class geared toward Ukrainian refugees, according to NPM. Check out the full story at Nebraska Public Media, it’s well worth your time.

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