One local community college is launching a new effort to help the region's growing Indonesian population gain new skills and career opportunities.
The partnership between Great Bay Community College and Indonesian Community Connect — a Somersworth-based organization that helps the Indonesian community — aims to expand access to education, scholarship and job opportunities. It also includes plans for translation and interpretation support.
Raude Raychel, president of Indonesian Community Connect, said the new effort could help Indonesians who have been in the U.S. for 10 or 20 years who are looking to switch careers or start businesses to achieve their goals.
“They feel like if you're working in manufacturing and you're stuck there and that's it, right?’’ Raychel said. “But maybe you just didn't know or didn't know how.”
Raychel said Indonesia has also been creating community college initiative programs. Indonesians abroad who are looking to get degrees could find a welcoming space in Somersworth’s Little Indonesia community. The region is home to Indonesian grocery stores and restaurants.
Somersworth, Dover and Rochester are collectively home to more than 5,000 Indonesian people, according to those behind the new partnership.
“This is a second home for the Indonesian community,” Raychel said.
How it started
Cheryl Lesser said her mission as the new president of Great Bay Community College has been to connect with different communities. When she met Raychel, with Indonesian Community Connect, she said it was a perfect fit.
“Well it turns out that our missions are so similar.” Lesser said.
The college wanted to reach more students with its courses and has partnerships with other community organizations across the Seacoast, Dover and Rochester.
Raychel, with Indonesian Community Connect, wanted to help more Indonesians link with education and training.
“It's nice to work with Great Bay first because a lot of our population [is] in the Seacoast area,” Raychel said.
Future plans
In the early stages of the project, Lesser said they're trying to understand potential barriers Indonesian students might face and help them thrive in their coursework and community.
“With the ICC, we're actually going to be bringing small groups on campus, talking with them, the admissions and financial aid,” Lesser said. “That and our programs and how they can interact with us. So doing a very personalized type of outreach.”
Eventually, Lesser said the partnership could expand to other community colleges throughout the state.
Raychel said many people in the local Indonesian community are still bouncing back from the impact of the COVID pandemic, especially its effects on local businesses. She said her organization has been helping Indonesians to develop business plans, and the educational partnership is an important resource to help people continue to build a path forward from the pandemic — because it can help future business owners gain the skills and certifications they need.
