The Career Laddering Program of Lutheran Services Florida Employment Services assists foreign skilled professionals to apply in order to re-enter their profession within the United States in an entry level position or better.  Skilled professionals include doctors, lawyers, engineers, consultants in business or professional labor organizations, plumbers, carpenters, machinists, mechanics (auto, truck, airplane, nuclear, power station), factory worker, nurse, medical practitioner.  (For questions about eligibility, contact LSF below.)

The Career Laddering Program is available to:

• Certified victims of human trafficking

• Asylees

• Refugees

• Entrants or parolees from Haiti or from Cuba

In addition, applicants to the program must have been granted permanent resident status in the U.S. less than 60 months ago and have documentation of their educational and professional skills or former employment status.

Located in the Tampa Bay and Miami areas, the LSF program evaluates applicants' eligibility and assists them with additional skills and testing needed for functioning as professionals in the United States, such as advanced or business English, basic computer education, re-licensing, state board testing review books or actual tests, etc.

Once assessed and given additional skills, clients are then matched with companies in the local area or across the nation.  The program assists with application to entry-level job placement and then follows up at 90 days and 180 days to insure the client is still working.

The Career Laddering program is designed to help skilled professionals find the best avenue back to economic self-sufficiency.

This project is funded by a grant from the US Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Refugee Resettlement and administered by the Florida Department of Children & Families.