Pathways to meaningful employment for refugees
According to the UNHCR, an estimated 82.4 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide in 2021, including 26.4 million refugees. The UK is a leading destination for refugees, with over 200,000 refugees living in the country.
Employment for refugees often involves care, food service, cleaning, taxi driving, warehouse work and labouring. Due to these professions' typically lower salary points, many refugees find themselves in a cycle of poverty and continued reliance on state support, when many have the skills, qualifications and experience to work in much better-paid work. Barriers to employment include language barriers, lack of recognition of qualifications, and discrimination.
However, there is a growing recognition that we can create a fairer and more sustainable system to support refugees by challenging these barriers.
How Businesses Can Help
There are several ways that businesses can help refugees. For example, businesses can partner with refugee-led organisations to provide employment opportunities, training, and other support services. Businesses can also partner with government agencies to provide refugees with financial assistance, legal aid, and other resources.
There are other levers to positively influence refugees. For example, businesses can adopt policies that promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace, and also provide training to their employees on how to work with refugees. Marketing and advertising platforms can be a strong tool to raise awareness of the refugee crisis and to promote support for refugees.
Here are some examples:
Hiring refugees: Businesses can hire refugees to fill open positions. This provides them with much-needed employment opportunities and helps them integrate into society.
Training: Businesses can train refugees in the skills they need to succeed in the workplace. This can include training in English, computer and other job-related skills.
Donating to refugee-led organisations: Businesses can donate money or resources to refugee-led organisations that are providing essential services to refugees, such as food, shelter, medical care and education.
Advocating for refugee rights: Businesses can advocate for policies that support and protect the rights of refugees. This can include policies that make it easier for them to find employment, to access education, and to become citizens.
Adopting diversity and inclusion policies: Businesses can adopt diversity and inclusion policies that promote the hiring and advancement of refugees, sending a clear message that they are welcome and valued members of the workforce.
Providing training to employees: Businesses can provide training to their employees on how to work with refugees, by raising awareness to the challenges that refugees face and to develop skills for working effectively with them.
Using marketing and advertising platforms to raise awareness: Businesses can use their marketing and advertising platforms to raise awareness of the refugee crisis and how to support refugees. This is a way of educating the public about the challenges they face and encouraging people to get involved.
By helping refugees to employment, businesses can benefit in a number of ways, including:
Access to a new pool of talent: Refugees often have a wide range of skills and experience, which can be a valuable asset to businesses.
A more diverse and inclusive workforce: Hiring refugees can help businesses to create a more diverse and inclusive workforce, which can lead to improved innovation and performance.
A positive public image: Businesses that support refugees to employment can gain a positive public image, which can attract customers and investors.
In addition to these benefits, businesses that help refugees to employment can also make a positive contribution to society. By helping refugees become productive members of society, businesses can help to create a more just and equitable world.
Here are some specific examples of how businesses have benefited from helping refugees to employment:
IKEA: IKEA has been hiring refugees for many years, and the company has found that refugees are often highly motivated and eager to learn. IKEA found that they bring a unique set of skills and perspectives to the workplace, which has helped to improve the company's innovation and performance.
Google: Google has a number of programs in place to help refugees to employment, including a training program that provides them with the skills they need to work in the technology industry. Google has found that refugees are valuable employees, and the company has been praised for its commitment to helping them succeed.
Refugee-led organisations: There are a number of refugee-led organisations that provide training and support to refugees who are looking for work. These organisations can help them overcome the barriers they face in accessing employment, and they can also provide businesses with the resources they need to hire refugees.
Businesses have a responsibility to use their resources to help those in need and can make a real difference in the lives of refugees by helping them become integrated members of society.