A program meant to help find highly skilled immigrants in New York jobs that match their experiences and skill set is set for a $4.4 million expansion, Gov. Kathy Hochul's office announced.

The money will be awarded as grants to help further professional training and job placement for the growing number of immigrants in the state deemed to have highly skilled backgrounds.

Grants will be administered over three years by the New York State Office for New Americans. The money is meant to support the Professional Pathways program, and comes as New York over the last several years has welcomed refugees from parts of the world.

The money is also being approved amid a broader labor shortage in the country. In New York, the state's unemployment rate in January was at 4.3% and is yet to recover fully since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"For generations, the hard work and determination of immigrants who have come to New York to build a better life for themselves and their families has shaped our state into what it is today," Hochul said. "By expanding the Professional Pathways for High-Skilled Immigrants program, we're strengthening our support for new Americans in our state and connecting immigrants with the tools they need to enter the workforce and pursue the New York Dream."

The program was first launched in 2021 and is meant to help high-skilled immigrants with development in their professions through screening, training and re-credentialing as well as helping them find job placement opportunities.

The program is meant to support people who work in fields like architecture, engineering, information technology, education, social work, economics, business management and journalism.

"In New York, we recognize the importance of immigrants and everything they contribute to our state and country," said Robert Rodriguez, the New York state secretary of state. "Still, too many new Americans face countless obstacles that make it harder to build better lives for themselves and their families. Through the expansion of the Office for New Americans' Professional Pathways program, we are empowering and uplifting New York's immigrants and giving them the skills and resources they need to succeed and thrive in today's job market."