The labor shortage throughout the U.S. is real, and there is no shortage of creative measures being taken to get people back to work. Massachusetts is
offering cash bonuses to lure people back, and some states have
expanded apprenticeship programs to counteract the growing shortages, to name a couple. In San Francisco, the ed-tech company Interstride is serving its mission to connect international students with job opportunities by launching a free online portal through which employers can recruit global students and alumni from U.S. colleges and universities.
Interstride said in a
news release this month that its Employer Portal will allow companies to post job opportunities at no cost and receive help navigating the hiring process, potentially connecting them with a pool of more than 80,000 international students and alumni from U.S.-based institutions. Companies could also opt into a premium service that would help them build relationships with higher ed institutions and conduct targeted searches for possible hires, the release said. Interstride will also help employers with relocation and other immigration options beyond H-1B visas, with the goal of helping companies fill important roles that have been difficult to fill due to the worker shortage.
“International graduates bring a lot of value to companies and the higher education system,” Interstride CEO Nitin Agrawal said in a public statement. “They offer new perspectives on old problems. They speak multiple languages, they can help bridge cultural gaps, and so much more. Before now, there was no one place where employers and talented international students could connect so easily.”
The news release cited Interstride’s own research that found most international students prefer to stay in the U.S. upon graduating, at least for a few years. Agrawal said in the release that there are paths through U.S. immigration laws that make it easier to hire international students, mentioning the Optional Practical Training (OPT) Extension program that allows recent STEM-degree graduates to stay in the U.S. for as many as three years. The company said in its news release that it is particularly looking for employers who want to diversify their entry-level positions — notably in computer science, business and engineering industries.
