ASU+GSV Summit 2021: Katie Nielson on opportunities for the immigrant population

Thought leaders in education and tech are sharing their ideas on how to make opportunity accessible to everyone.
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A debt-free education opens up opportunity for many who are seeking paths to learning. Voxy EnGen, an online platform that offers English language skills with a focus on job-related language, is among the organizations partnering with Walmart and Target in their ongoing initiatives to pay tuition and the cost of books for their employees.

Company initiatives like these are a great step forward, says Katie Nielson, Ph.D., founder and chief education officer of Voxy EnGen. “They’re thinking about raising up all of their workers, which is why they have foundational programs like Voxy EnGen.”

With much conversation around talent shortages, Nielson says the immigrant and refugee populations are vital to the future of the workforce.

“We try to help people get access to jobs with economic potential. We try to help them get the English skills they need for further credentials and education. Education is a huge obstacle for immigrants, refugees, second language speakers in general in the United States.”

Click here to learn more about Voxy EnGen.

WorkingNation—a collaborating partner of the ASU+GSV Summit—talked with Nielson in San Diego as part of our #WorkingNationOverheard social media series.

Hear from more innovators in education and tech in the public, private, and nonprofit spheres attending the ASU+GSV Summit 2021 here.

Follow the conversation on social media: #asugsvsummit #workingnationoverheard