Tech Companies To Offer Jobs, Training For Afghan Refugees

The technology companies are among 32 organizations joining the Tent Coalition for Afghan Refugees to help Afghans better integrate into the U.S. economy.

Technology companies are stepping up to help Afghan refugees in the United States by committing to job opportunities, training and other resources.

Accenture, Amazon, Coursera, Deloitte, Facebook, General Assembly, HP Inc., Jacobs, ServiceNow and Sitel Group are among 32 companies joining the Tent Coalition for Afghan Refugees to help Afghans better integrate into the U.S. economy.

The initiative is led by New York’s Tent Partnership for Refugees, a nonprofit launched in 2016 to help mobilize the global business community to include refugees. It now has a network of more than 180 major companies that have pledged to help integrate refugees in their host communities.

“As part of our diverse workforce, Amazon continually hires immigrants and refugees across the company, and we’re proud to partner with Tent to extend our reach,” Beth Galetti, Amazon’s senior vice president of people experience and technology, said in a statement. “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.”

Other participating companies are the Adecco Group, APCO, Bain & Company, Bright Horizons Family Solutions, Chobani, Gap Inc., Henry Schein Inc., Hilton, IHG Hotels & Resorts, Jacobs, Kleen-Tech, Mastercard, Panda Express, Pfizer, Rejuvenation, Sodexo, Tripadvisor, Tyson Foods, Uber, UPS, US Xpress, Wayfair, and Western Union.

“America is at a critical juncture, and every part of our society must play its part to welcome our Afghan brothers and sisters,” Hamdi Ulukaya, founder and CEO of Chobani and founder of the Tent Partnership for Refugees, said in a statement. “They have stood by our side, and we must stand by theirs. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again -- the moment a refugee gets a job, it’s 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.”