LINC

Learning | Inclusion | Networking | Community

About Us

LINC is a non-profit organization that focuses on supporting employers, relocated employees and the community in matters of partner career, integration assistance and diversity and inclusion.

LINC is on a mission to make the Lehigh Valley a place where every person who moves here is connected and feels like they belong. We partner with regional employers who deploy innovative and inclusive strategies to attract and retain diversity of talent at every career level from all over the world.

Through the power of Learning, Inclusion, Networking, and Community, we enable professionals and their families to have a positive and joyfilled experience moving to the Valley. We take a holistic approach, caring for the needs of the whole family and focusing on community life outside the workplace that often drive a successful transition. This includes providing valuable partner career services for accompany partners seeking employment.

Our History

In 2014, a group of Lehigh Valley cross-industry employers came together to discuss a regional approach to the recruitment and retention of highly-skilled diverse talent. The concept was borne out of a National Science Foundation ADVANCE Grant to address recruitment and retention of diverse talent in higher education.

LINC was created to enhance the hiring process on a personal level. LINC addressed common problems encountered by regional employers across all industries: a candidate’s decision is heavily impacted by personal, non-business, non-job related considerations – making attracting diverse, highly-skilled talent to the Lehigh Valley a challenge exceeding the scope of traditional hiring strategies. A new, unique talent attraction and onboarding model was created as a collaborative, regional, cross-industry approach.

This model was based on national studies, research conducted with senior-level executives, and surveys of hires new to the Lehigh Valley, and an underlying service structure was implemented. On May 4, 2015 LINC opened its doors and began working with regional employers and organizations who share the understanding that supporting new hires in their transitions brings growth and success for all involved.

The goals of the initial grant were threefold:

  1. To increase the visibility of the Lehigh Valley as an attractive career and life destination, both on personal and professional levels
  2. To be recognized as an exceptional human resource solution that supports regional employers in attracting and retaining the best talent from all over the world
  3. To promote the recruitment of women in STEM, create a more diverse workforce, and increase the number of highly-skilled and highly-educated employees in the Lehigh Valley

LINC is a group of employers banding together to solve a common problem.

Christopher donigan, sr Vice president of Human Resources, B. braun Medical INc.