JFF Director Laura Roberts was quoted in an Employee Benefit News article about the report that JFF produced with the Tent Partnership for Refugees to offer employers tips for helping workers overcome language barriers.

The JFF-Tent report also highlights the value immigrants and refugees bring to businesses, even while they’re still learning English, and Roberts noted that this population represents a valuable talent pipeline, especially at a time when U.S. businesses are facing record labor shortages.

The report fills a need by offering tangible steps employers can take to engage with people who are learning English. “What we felt like the field was lacking was concreteness,” Roberts said. “What are the actual things a business line manager or a frontline manager or a talent leader need in order to not just accommodate low language proficiency and a minority workforce, but actually invest in that talent.”