There's no instruction manual for New York City, and arriving as an immigrant who doesn't speak English makes everything harder. You're learning a new language, a new job market, a new transit system, and a new set of unwritten rules all at once.
That's where the New Immigrant Community Empowerment (NICE) program in Jackson Heights, Queens, steps in. The nonprofit runs a training course that teaches newly arrived immigrants—and anyone else who needs it—not just how to find work, but how to actually live here.
Learning to Read the City
The Pre-Apprenticeship for Life and Work program walks participants through New York's actual systems: schools, healthcare, housing, transit. It covers the digital job market, workplace expectations, and immigrant rights. For someone arriving from another country, it's the difference between fumbling through and actually knowing where you're going.
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Start Your News DetoxLuis Florez, 37, came from Colombia and went through the program in 2024. "For people who migrate, who are lost, everything is new," he said. "It's like being born again because you don't even know the language." In the sessions, he learned about credit scores, how to open a bank account, and how to use the subway without getting lost. These aren't glamorous skills, but they're the ones that make a city feel navigable instead of overwhelming.
The program also addresses a real vulnerability. Immigrants facing language barriers are often targets for scams or overcharged fees. NICE builds in sessions on rights and protections specific to New York so people know what they're legally entitled to.
Soft Skills, Real Impact
One of the program's best-received activities happens in Maria Ceballos's sessions on soft skills. She gives participants random materials and puts them in imaginary problem-solving situations. "That's the activity everyone enjoys most because they use all their skills," Ceballos said. The point isn't hidden: employers care about how you think and solve problems. A university degree helps, but it's not the only thing that matters.
Several program graduates have found work—some as teaching assistants in city schools. Metro Plus Health, a medical insurer, even asked for resumes from participants. It's not a guarantee, but it's proof the approach works.
NICE is running four more sessions of the program. People can sign up by visiting the organization in person in Jackson Heights.
