Photo: Brianna Soukup

Celia Mantovani is a Brazilian psychiatrist who hasn't been able to work in her field since moving to Maine six years ago. She is one of hundreds of immigrants with the vital skills employers in the state desperately want and need.

But even highly skilled immigrants have been sidelined by inadequate English language training opportunities and a bewildering patchwork of education, certification, and licensing requirements that make restarting their careers an expensive, exhausting process.

As chief executive officer of an information technology company in Minneapolis, Jim Wolford was troubled by the lack of economic opportunity for people of color in Minnesota and by his company’s difficulty in finding well-qualified workers.

Wolford enlisted the services of a local vocational training and job placement company. Together, they created an intensive, 20-week IT training program for people who just needed an opportunity to thrive. Their idea proved to be a win-win for graduates of the program, Wolford's business, and the community. It also demonstrates how investing in the talent of people is key to success in a world of human work.