'It was a blessing for me': City of Tulsa renews Tulsa Professional Connector Program

TULSA, Okla — The City of Tulsa is renewing its Professional Connector Program for the second year in a row.

It aims to build its workforce through free development help, designed specifically for immigrants.

Olha Hrytsaniuk was a connectee last year with the city’s connector program who came all the way from Ukraine.

She said after mass layoffs at the job she was working at, the TPCP came into her life at the perfect time.

"Everyone was desperately looking for a job," she said.

“It was blessing for me because I remember the days when I just came to United States, and my journey here wasn't prepared," she said. "I came as a person who's been displaced to United States because of war, and I know that all the immigrants and refugees they have a lot of different stories.”

She was paired with Cesia Brabson as her mentor.

Brabson said she was also lucky to be on the planning committee that helped set up the program.

“This is also very special for me because my parents were immigrants, and I came to the U.S. as a child," she said. "I know firsthand that it takes a lot of support in so many different ways to help immigrants get settled and get acquainted with the customs and the laws and the expectations of what's needed here.”

Brabson said some of the things the free program provides to connectees like Olha is interview skills, public speaking, partnerships with other organizations, how to look for jobs and English language skills.

"It's a great experience to be a connector," said Brabson. "It gives you the ability to utilize your leadership skills and to sharpen them to also see things from a very different perspective and realize that there is need for this type of support and this type of one-on-one assistance, and it's it's very rewarding of a process."

Due to all of the hard work put in by both women, Hrytsaniuk was able to get another job within a few months.

"Every moment, every single connection, every single meeting," she said. "I've learned a lot, way more and more and more. We developed friendly relationships."

Tabitha Dorcas Addom works with the city’s department of resilience and equity that organizes the program, saying it was a big deal for her to help connect people with the right organizations and partners to help them succeed.

She also shared her story, saying she is also an immigrant that saw how tough it could be to acclimate to different situations and customs, especially when it came to applying for jobs.

"I think that's the importance of the connector program," she said. "It does not have one way through which we help these connectees. We look at each individual on the basis of what is needed, and we try to connect them to that resource."

While the program is completely free, she said there are some requirements that have to be met.

"You need to have a resume," she said. "You need to have a degree or some type of some sort of degree that can help you gain a job. Of course, you also have to have a bit of English proficiency, native speaking conversation to be able to get a job in Tulsa.”

She explained how to apply to be either a connector or a connectee.

By visiting cityoftulsa.org/tpcp, you can scroll down and find applications for both connectors and connectees.

After you apply, someone from the city’s Department of Resilience and Equity should reach back out to you.