An acronym for Stand up, Take action, Expect great things and Put in the work, HACC’s S.T.E.P. Academy and Language Institute are partnering to help Central PA’s resilient immigrants and refugees push through the pandemic toward their college and career goals. Health and labor market trends show that COVID-19 has exacerbated immigrant health and economic disparities with non-native speakers of English often working in “essential positions” in lower seniority roles with a lack of access to health care and a higher rate of comorbidities. Thanks to generous HACC Foundation funding, nearly twenty graduates of the English Language Learner with Digital Literacy Fast Track Program (an advanced-level, English as a second language course for un/underemployed, internationally-educated professionals) are transitioning into the S.T.E.P. Academy to receive intensive and culturally sensitive job-readiness, college and career coaching, nationally recognized credentials such as CPR/First Aid, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and the National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC) plus three HACC credits. These highly skilled and motivated, yet vulnerable members of our community deserve equal access to education and employment, and HACC is here to help!