CHAPTER 2.9 Building Bridges to SufficiencyPART 2 171 Chapter 2.9 Building Bridges to Economic...

PART 2 PLANNING FOR ALL

PART 3PART 1 APPLYING THE FRAMEWORK IN KEY PROGRAM AREAS

PUTTING PRINCIPLES INTO PRACTICE

PART 1

REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT

PLANNING FOR ALL

PART 3

CHAPTER 2.9BuildingBridges toEconomic Self-Sufficiency:Employmentand Training

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GOALS FOR INTEGRATION(SEE CHAPTER 1.3)

●●●➔ The focus ofthis Chapter

●●● To keepin mind

●●●➔ ONE To restore security, control andsocial and economic independenceby meeting basic needs, facilitatingcommunication and fostering theunderstanding of the receiving society.

●●●➔ TWO To promote the capacity to rebuilda positive future in the receiving society.

●●● THREE To promote family reunificationand restore supportive relationshipswithin families.

●●● FOUR To promote connections withvolunteers and professionals able toprovide support.

●●● FIVE To restore confidence inpolitical systems and institutions andto reinforce the concept of human rightsand the rule of law.

●●● SIX To promote cultural andreligious integrity and to restoreattachments to, and promote participationin, community, social, cultural andeconomic systems by valuing diversity.

●●● SEVEN To counter racism,discrimination and xenophobia and buildwelcoming and hospitable communities.

●●● EIGHT To support the developmentof strong, cohesive refugee communitiesand credible refugee leadership.

●●● NINE To foster conditions thatsupport the integration potential of allresettled refugees taking into account theimpact of age, gender, familystatus and past experience.

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Chapter 2.9Building Bridgesto Economic Self-sufficiency:Employment and Training

This Chapter focuses on strategies to support resettledrefugees to secure economic self-sufficiency throughemployment and training. It should be read inconjunction with Part Three which examines particularplanning issues of concern to refugee women, eldersand young people.


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C H E C K L I S T

Planning for economic self-sufficiency

REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT172

BUILDING BRIDGES TO ECONOMIC SELF-SUFFICIENCY:EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING

When establishing a new resettlement program, give priority to: ■■✓ identifying and developing partnerships with key public and private sector partners (e.g.

job placement providers, employers, employer associations);■■✓ making arrangements for individualised assessment and job placement (where possible

through an existing provider);■■✓ incorporating information about employment conditions, services and processes in

orientation;■■✓ resettlement community selection and placement policies which optimise employment

opportunities.

In the longer term, aim for: ■■✓ strategies to ensure that job assessment and placement services are responsive to the

needs of resettled refugees (e.g. language assistance, professional development andawareness raising among providers);

■■✓ specialised job placement and support programs and services for resettled refugees;■■✓ programs for providing more intensive job search assistance and support to resettled

refugees or strategies to promote their access to specialist programs targeted tonationals experiencing labour force disadvantage;

■■✓ strategies to support resettled refugees to have prior learning, qualifications andexperience recognised;

■■✓ strategies to address barriers to work force participation (e.g. child care, transportation);■■✓ programs to support resettled refugees to establish micro-economic enterprises;■■✓ strategies to facilitate access to the work force (e.g. mentor programs);■■✓ measures to promote equal employment opportunity among, and prevent

discrimination against, resettled refugees;■■✓ engaging labour unions, employers, job placement services and the refugee and wider

communities in initiatives to promote refugee employment;■■✓ strategies and programs for job advancement and retraining.

PART 2 APPLYING THE FRAMEWORK IN KEY PROGRAM AREAS

Economic self-sufficiency and employmentas resources for rebuilding

Economic self-sufficiency is one of the most important factorsin successful integration, with earning capacity influencing theability to ‘purchase’ many of the other resources required torebuild life in a new country, among them, housing, healthcare and education.

Employment is also important for long term economic stability,especially in times of difficulty or crisis. This is particularly thecase in those countries where entitlement to other benefits,such as health care, retirement income, and sickness andunemployment benefits, are tied to participation in paid work.

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As well as providing the means for economic stability,employment has a powerful influence on one’s capacity toparticipate equally in the receiving society. Withoutemployment, refugees risk becoming trapped in a cycle ofsocial and economic marginalisation affecting not only thembut possibly future generations.

As one of the primary sources of contact between adult newarrivals and their new country, the workplace provides a focusfor learning about the culture and practices of the receivingsociety. Providing day-to-day opportunities for communicatingin the language of that society, it also speeds the process ofachieving language proficiency, with obvious benefits forreducing social isolation and increasing the overallcompetence, control and independence of new refugee arrivals.The workplace is also a major site for the development offriendships and social support networks.

Meaningful work is a primary source through which we defineourselves and our role both in the wider society and in thefamily. This is particularly important for refugee arrivals, manyof whom will have struggled to maintain a positive identity inthe context of disruption and dependency. Being able to realisetheir personal potential in the labour force is a significantfactor in successful integration. This is particularly the case formen, with studies indicating that being unable to obtain workcommensurate with their skills and experience is a significantrisk factor for depression in this group1.

Promoting opportunities for refugee employment also hasbenefits for receiving countries. As well as helping to minimisedependency on social support payments, through employment,refugees are able to contribute to the tax base and, throughtheir purchasing power, to the broader economic good.

The workplace is a primary avenue through which refugeescan contribute to the economy and broader social fabric of thereceiving country.

Measures to ensure that refugees gain access to employmentare an integral element of an integration program. Ideally,these should aim to ensure that refugees are able to competewith nationals for jobs which are both commensurate withtheir skills and experience and through which they are able tooptimise their contribution to receiving countries.


PART 1

‘‘’’

Integration means for meto be part of Canadian

society, to learn Englishand find a job as soon as

possible. Resettled refugee

Laying the groundwork in emerging resettlement countries



Factors affecting economic self-sufficiency

While there is variability in the skills and attributes of refugees,there are a number of factors influencing their capacity toachieve economic self-sufficiency. Among these are:—proficiency in the language of the receiving country;—their knowledge of and capacity to access recruitment and

job placement services and processes;—the transferability of, and demand for, their skills in the

labour market of the receiving country;—the extent of disruption to education, training and

employment experienced in their countries-of-origin andasylum;

—competing demands associated with resettlement,adjustment to a new society and culture and, for many, theprocess of dealing with the trauma, grief and guilt associatedwith forced movement;

—cultural and religious practices and beliefs and the extent towhich these are accommodated in the labour force andworkplaces of the receiving society;

—their access to the resources required to support work forceparticipation, among them child care, transportation and‘tools-of-trade’ (e.g. in some receiving countries,tradespeople may be expected to supply their own tool-box);

—their access to resources for self employment such as loansand knowledge of the business sector in the receiving society;


WHILE steps to promoterefugees’ economic self-sufficiency are critical to thesuccess of any integrationprogram, they areparticularly important inemerging countries,especially those with alimited capacity to fundincome support programs.In these countries, resettledrefugees need to secureemployment at a very earlystage in their resettlement.

For this reason, it isimportant that emergingcountries begin at an early

stage to plan measures tosupport early economic self-sufficiency, including:• awareness raising among

employers, trainingproviders and jobplacement programs;

• establishing partnershipsin both the public andprivate sectors necessaryto create a range ofemployment and trainingopportunities;

• developing short termprofessional andvocational trainingopportunities;

• micro-economic enterpriseinitiatives;

• supports to completeformal education andtraining;

• engaging the co-operationof local networks whomight provide links toemployment opportunities(e.g. businessassociations, voluntaryorganisations, labourunions, faith-basedcommunities).

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—their motivation and openness to exploring newemployment possibilities, making it essential that resettledrefugees are fully involved in and have ownership of theemployment search process.

Also influential are conditions in receiving countries, including:—attitudes toward, and experience of, employing people from

other countries;—economic conditions, with refugees tending to experience

particular difficulty competing in the labour market incountries where unemployment rates are high amongnationals;

—whether refugees are able to have qualifications andexperience gained in countries-of-origin recognised in thereceiving country;

—the availability of support to enable participation in languagetraining, and if necessary further education and training inpreparation for employment or advancement in the labourmarket. Some countries have an extensive system foreducation and training of nationals and access is both freeand universal or is promoted through loans, subsidies orscholarships. In others, however, these systems may not bewell developed or are available on a ‘user-pays’ basis only;

—existing infrastructure for supporting access to the labourmarket, such as national job placement networks andprograms to support disadvantaged workers;

—expectations of refugee economic self-sufficiency and theavailability of income support and safety net services for those


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who are outside of the labour market. The issues associatedwith this are discussed in greater detail in Chapter 2.4;

—expectations of participation in language training programs;—the existence of legislative frameworks and programs to

prevent discrimination against and exploitation of refugeesas a vulnerable group within the labour market.

Initiatives to promote and supporteconomic self-sufficiency

Individualised assessment and job placementassistance

In order to access employment in receiving societies, recentrefugee arrivals will need to familiarise themselves with:—recruitment services and systems in place in the receiving

country;—labour force conditions and the demands for their skills

within it. This may involve defining and interpreting theirprevious work experience and skills in the jargon of thereceiving country. For example, job titles are generallyspecific to a given labour market and may be misleadingwhen transferred to another. Similarly, skills and experienceacquired informally through, for example, work in a refugeecamp may not be recognised either by employers orrefugees themselves;

—education and training options in the event thatemployment prospects in their former careers are poor ortheir education has been disrupted;

—processes for re-certification and accreditation.

Those wishing to establish economic self-sufficiency throughmicro-economic enterprise will require information aboutprograms available to assist them.

Provision for individualised assessment and job placement inthe early resettlement period is an integral component of anintegration program. Some countries of resettlement have jobplacement programs in place for nationals. Where this is thecase, new arrivals may be linked with these services as part ofthe reception and orientation process.

However, in most of these countries, it is recognised thatadditional initiatives are required to ensure that these programsare responsive to the needs of new arrivals. These include:—providing interpreting and translating services to support

refugees to access job placement services and to participatein job search activity;


‘‘

’’

Integration in the labourmarket is…aboutappropriate and

sustainable employment,not just work full stop.

European Council forRefugees in Exile Integration

Task Force,Good practice guide on theintegration of refugees in

the European Union:Employment

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—offering more intensive support to refugees in the earlyresettlement period. In some countries this is offeredthrough existing programs established for job seekers withspecial needs. In others, special programs have beenestablished for refugees;

—providing information and professional developmentprograms to job placement officers to enhance theirawareness of the past experiences and current concerns ofnew arrivals. This may be particularly important in thosecountries where participation in job search activity through agovernment job placement service is a condition of receivingsocial support payment;

—recruiting bilingual and bi-cultural staff to job placementservices;

—making provision for regular review of job placements in theearly resettlement period with a view to identifying andaddressing any problems experienced by refugee arrivals ortheir employers.

In other countries special job placement services have beenestablished for refugees or assessment and job placement isformally incorporated into the reception and orientationprocess. For example, in Denmark, where reception andintegration occur at the municipal level, individually tailored‘introduction plans’ are developed in consultation with newrefugee arrivals. These include, among other things, an


PART 1

INTEGRATION IN PRACTICE

IN THE USA, non-government agencies arecontracted to provide jobplacement services fornewly arrived refugees.Refugees are referred tothese services where anindividual assessment isconducted and assistancein preparing a resumeoffered. The service thenapproaches individualemployers looking forworkers that ‘match’ theskills of the refugee. Manyemployment programs

offer employers a freetranslation service toassist with an initialtraining and inductionperiod and inform themabout any specialsubsidies and tax creditsthat may be available tothem when hiring theperson. They may also beavailable to ‘trouble-shoot’in the event of anyproblems (such as safetyissues or culturalmisunderstanding).

Working for refugees

➔ What level of support should refugees be offered to resumeformer careers or regain a position in the labour forcecomparable to that held in their countries-of-origin?

SOME refugees will haveachieved very high degreesof education and high levelprofessional and vocationalqualifications. However,these skills may notnecessarily be immediatelytransferable to the labourmarket of the receivingcountry. This may be due toa number of factors:• There may be limited or

no demand for theparticular skills held by thenew arrival.

• There may be an over-supply of the skills held bynew arrivals, creatingstringent competition andin some cases, leading tospecific bars or barriers toentry of personnel trainedin other countries.

• Proof of highly specialisedknowledge may berequired in order to haveprior qualificationsrecognised and to practisetheir profession or trade.This may be the case, forexample, with the

professions of medicineand law and with trades inthe telecommunicationsindustry.

Resettled refugees in thesecircumstances may requiresome assistance to assesswhether it is possible toreclaim their formercareers, or whether indeedtheir long term interestswould be better served byexploring an alternativecareer path.

In some countries specificsteps are taken to supportrefugees to either resumetheir former careers or toretrain for workcommensurate with theiraptitude and aspirations(e.g. through the provisionof mentoring programs,training subsidies and socialsupport payments to enableparticipation in retraining).In others, however, thisremains the responsibility ofthe individual entrant.

There are a number offactors weighing against

refugees regaining theposition held in the labourforce in their countries-of-origin. In some countries itmay be neither economicallyviable nor politicallysustainable, to supportrefugees to realise this goal.This is particularly the casein those countries in whichnationals have limitedaccess to education andtraining initiatives. In thesecircumstances, it may benecessary for resettledrefugees to adopt a careerplan which involves securingemployment for immediateeconomic survival, while atthe same time enrolling inlanguage and career trainingfor employment in thelonger term.

The extent to whichsupport is offered will bedependent on prevailinglabour force and economicconditions in the receivingcountry and thecircumstances of individualrefugee entrants.




assessment of the refugee’s individual skills and qualificationswith a view to facilitating their entry into either the labourmarket or education and training.

Enhancing job readiness, job-search skillsand resources

People from refugee backgrounds may require some additionalassistance in participating in job search activity and preparingthemselves for employment in the receiving country. Havingonly recently arrived they are unlikely to have access to


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IN HAMBURG, Germany, anon-government agencyproviding support torefugees (AWO) hasentered an agreement withthe Public EmploymentService (PES) to provideintensive job assessmentand placement support torefugees. The program wasintroduced recognising thatofficers of the PES hadneither the time norexpertise to offer refugees

an appropriate service.Refugees registering for

unemployment assistanceare referred to AWO ratherthan the PES. There, theyare assisted by an officerexperienced in working withrefugees and who, in manycases, is able to speak theirlanguage.

Assessment of theirlanguage, training andemployment needs isoffered followed by referrals

to appropriate services oremployment positions.

A contrasting approachhas been taken in theAustralia state of Victoria.There, refugees are assistedthrough the mainstreamemployment service.However, settlementagencies provide trainingcourses for employmentprofessionals to sensitisethem to the particular needsof refugees.

‘‘’’

I want to continue myeducation in theatrebecause I write good

stories and I would love tobe an actor.

Resettled refugee

Providing intensive tailored job placement support to refugees

resources such as word-processing and Internet facilities. Manywill be unfamiliar with job search conventions in the receivingcountry, such as those relating to the preparation of jobapplications and resumes and to participation in job interviews.

While refugees are generally very motivated to seekemployment in the receiving country, some may have neverworked in the paid labour force or may have endured aprolonged period of economic dependency in a refugee camp.Further, workplace culture and values may be very different inthe receiving country from those in refugee source countries.

Recognising this, in a number of countries refugees are offeredintensive programs designed to orient them to the labour forceof the receiving country, prepare them for work and supportthem with job-search resources. Again, arrangements forproviding this support differ between countries, with someestablishing programs targeted to refugees and others linkingrefugees with services provided to nationals with special job-search needs.

Job vacancies in receiving countries are often filled informallythrough professional and personal networks, based onprospective applicant’s established reputation or ‘track-record’in their field (as opposed to formalised competitive recruitmentprocesses). With networks and professional identity takingsome time to build and nurture, new arrivals may be at asignificant disadvantage in this regard.

INTEGRATIONIN PRACTICE

In an attempt to improve the job prospects of new arrivals, anumber of countries have developed mentor programs,whereby refugees are linked with peers in their profession(either nationals or established members of refugeecommunities). Mentors support the new arrival by orientingthem to their field in the receiving country, assisting them withthe preparation of applications and resumes and linking themwith employers and other peers.

In those countries in which faith-based communities havebeen actively engaged in supporting refugee resettlement (seeChapters 2.3 and 2.11), these have served as an important linkbetween resettled refugees and employment opportunities inthe wider society.




A NUMBER of non-government agenciescollaborated withrefugee communities toestablish a ‘drop-in’centre for refugees andmigrants settling inLondon. Among otherservices, the centreprovides access to theInternet to support jobsearch activity and toword processingfacilities for thepreparation of resumesand job applications.

Migrant InformationTechnology Centre,London, UK

Internship programs have also been successfully established ina number of countries. These give new arrivals the opportunityto gain work experience in their field, build networks, anddemonstrate their skills and experience.

Promoting recognition of prior learning,qualifications and experience

As indicated above, not all resettled refugees will be in aposition to resume their former careers. However, those whowish to do so may need to have professional or tradequalifications (e.g. in nursing, engineering, commercial driving,or hairdressing) gained elsewhere re-certified or re-accredited inthe receiving country before commencing practice.

Similarly, those wishing to resume tertiary or other postsecondary education or training will need to have priorlearning formally evaluated by education or trainingauthorities. There may be a number of barriers to this inreceiving countries:—In most countries, no single body is responsible for

certifying credentials gained overseas. Rather, this is theresponsibility of individual institutions, professionalassociations and trades. Accessing these systems may,therefore, be a complex undertaking for new arrivals.

—Formalised processes for certification or accreditation ofoverseas trained professionals may not have beenestablished for all trades and professions and/or there may alimited understanding among relevant bodies of how toassess the qualifications and prior experience of overseastrained personnel.

—In some professions, re-certification processes are very

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A PROGRAM wasdeveloped to supportdoctors trained in othercountries to prepare forpractice in the UK.Through a weeklygroup program,convened by a re-qualified refugeedoctor, refugees withmedical qualificationswere offeredinformation about therequirements ofregistration, languagecoaching, clinicalplacements andsupport through thesystem of re-qualifyingexams.

Refugees mentoringrefugees

Internships for refugee employment

IN THE Netherlands, an internship program has beendeveloped offering refugees with qualifications andexperience a period of paid work experience in arelevant government department. Refugees areemployed for a 12-month period, during which timethey are offered personal support from a workplacementor. While ongoing employment is not guaranteed,in practice, a large proportion of those participating inthe program have been able to secure this in theinternship or other employment settings.

expensive, stringent and protracted, often involving a periodof further study. The time, cost and effort involved forrefugees may compete with the need for employment forimmediate economic survival. In some countries, stringentre-certification, accreditation or registration processes maybe imposed by trade and professional associations to restrictthe entry of overseas trained personnel who may be viewedas competitors.

—Documentation of qualifications and prior experience mayhave been lost, stolen or destroyed in the course of therefugee experience, making it difficult to provide proof toemployers and accrediting authorities.

As a first step toward enhancing refugees’ access toaccreditation and re-certification processes, refugeeemployment services in a number of countries have compiledinformation for new arrivals and those working with them onrequirements and contact details for relevant trades andprofessionals. Others have developed resources to assist bodiesresponsible for re-certification and accreditation to betterunderstand and assess the qualifications and prior experienceof refugee arrivals. For example, in Denmark, a Handbook wasproduced for universities to support their assessment of theprior learning of refugees from those main regionsrepresented in the Danish resettlement program.

Consideration may also need to be given to advocating on behalfof or in co-operation with refugees, to secure re-certificationprocesses that are more responsive to the needs of refugeeswhile at the same time maintaining appropriate standards. Forexample, a refugee employment service in Kentucky, USA




worked with the professional engineers’ association in that stateto establish processes for re-accrediting resettled refugees whohad qualified as engineers in their country-of-origin.

Internships and mentoring programs may also be useful, withthe former providing the local experience sometimes requiredas part of a process of re-certification or accreditation, and thelatter ensuring that refugees have relevant peer support.

Addressing practical barriers to employment

While employment yields obvious economic benefits, anumber of resources may be required for work forceparticipation, such as a transport and a driver’s licence and insome cases ‘tools-of-trade’. As they have only recently arrived,refugees are unlikely to have acquired these resources and mayneed some support in accessing them.


‘‘’’

My English was funny atthat time and I took a job

as a cleaner in ahairdressers. No-one

believed that back homeI was an engineer.

Resettled refugee

ACCESS TO transportationhas been identified as amajor obstacle to refugeeemployment in the USA.A number of innovativeprograms have beendeveloped to address this:• In Florida, a non-

government agency

provides loans to refugeesto purchase a car which isrepayable ‘in-kind’ throughthe provision oftransportation services toother refugee families.

• In Maryland, a large steelcompany employingsignificant numbers of

refugees offers low costtransport to refugees fortheir journey to work.

• In Vermont, a refugeesupport service providesfinancial assistance andlanguage support torefugees to obtain adriver’s licence.

Enhancing access to transport in the USA

Refugees with child care responsibilities are likely to havelimited access to family and informal support, yet may beunaware of the existence of private and government child careagencies. Some families may be reluctant to have theirchildren cared for outside of the family. This may be becausethey are unfamiliar with child care services, because they ortheir children are experiencing particular difficultiesassociated with past trauma, or because existing services arenot culturally responsive.

The costs of child care may also serve as a disincentive toemployment, particularly for very low wage earners.

For these reasons, refugees with child care responsibilities mayneed additional information on the role of child care in the

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Promoting economic self-sufficiencythrough micro-economic enterprise

Micro-economic enterprise can provide an importantalternative route to economic self-sufficiency for some newarrivals, in particular:—those who owned small businesses such as grocers,

restaurants or beauty shops or derived income from smallhome based enterprises, such as dressmaking in theircountries-of-origin;

—those whose skills are not readily transferable to the labourmarket of the receiving country (e.g. doctors, lawyers) orwho may not fit well into more traditional jobs (e.g. artists);

—women, since some small or home based businesses may bemore compatible with their child care and domesticresponsibilities. This is particularly the case for womenoriginating from cultures where it is unacceptable forwomen to work outside of the home (see Chapter 3.2);

—those resettled in countries with a small formal labour force,but a strong tradition of self employment through businessownership and income generating activity (e.g. BurkinaFaso).

If successful, small businesses can assist integration througheconomic self-sufficiency. Those involving extensive contactwith customers or other business networks also provideopportunities for language learning and social connection.

However, in some enterprises (e.g. home based garmentconstruction) these opportunities may be limited, isolatingrefugee arrivals from the wider community. In a number ofresettlement countries, home based producers have also beensubject to exploitation by wholesalers and retailers2.

There are also some inherent financial risks in establishingsmall business ventures and some may involve a significantamount of personal investment and organisational effort onbehalf of new arrivals, many of whom may already bestruggling with other resettlement issues.

Refugees wanting to establish a small business may requiresome support, including:—assistance with initial capital outlay or in accessing credit

facilities;—assistance in preparing a business plan;


PART 1

receiving country, child care services and costs, as well as anychild care subsidies that may be available to them.

‘‘’’

I love to make money withmy own hands. I alwaysworked hard and helped

my family and my childrenabove all.

Resettled refugee

INTEGRATIONIN PRACTICE




The BusinessEnterprise Adviser,Refugee Council,London, UK

THE ADVISER wasestablished recognisingthat refugees werehaving difficulties inaccessing existinggovernment enterpriseadvice agencies. Thiswas due to languagedifficulties as well as toa lack of appreciationby mainstream servicesof some of the differentbusiness ideaspresented by refugeeapplicants.

The service, staffedby people who arethemselves fromrefugee backgrounds,offers:• advice on starting a

business;• orientation to the

practices and culturesof the market inBritain;

• language assistanceto access creditproviders. Businessplans can bedeveloped in theirfirst language, withtranslations beingprovided to enablepeople tocommunicate withcredit providers.

—information on taxation, accounting and other regulatoryframeworks in the receiving country;

—information relating to market conditions in the receivingcountry;

—an alternative source of income or social support while thebusiness is in its establishment phase.

In some countries, this assistance may be secured through smallbusiness enterprise schemes already established for nationals.For example, in Ireland non-refundable allowances are availableto people wishing to establish a small business (subject to theviability of the proposal being approved). This allowance, whichis gradually reduced, is available for up to three years. In theNetherlands, people starting their own businesses are eligible fora refundable grant for 18 months. Refugees have made extensiveuse of these programs in both countries.

Some additional assistance may be required to facilitate accessto these schemes, given language issues and the fact that inmany countries they are often governed by strict and complexeligibility criteria.

In other countries, such as Burkina Faso and Benin, targetedsmall business enterprise schemes have been established forrefugees. Loans with favourable terms are made available tothose interested in pursuing this path to economic self-sufficiency.

Marketing the skills and attributes of refugees toemployers and promoting cultural accommodation

Engaging employers is a vital strategy in promoting refugeeself-sufficiency. As well as exercising control over recruitment,employers have a powerful influence over workplace conditionsand culture, and in some industries may be in a position tosupport refugees with other resources such as child care andtransportation. Some employers may be unfamiliar withresettled refugees and this may contribute to a reluctance tohire them. Integration services in existing resettlementcountries have sought to foster employer support andovercome potential employer objections by:—active ‘marketing’ of the skills and attributes of refugees in

general or of individual refugees, including, wherenecessary, information to counter erroneous views aboutrefugees or particular refugee communities or to assistemployers in accommodating cultural or religious practices;

—making arrangements to brief key industry and employerbodies about current and projected refugee intakes;

Communicating with employers

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WHEN COMMUNICATING with employersand job-placement personnel in thereceiving country, refugees should bepresented as normal people inextraordinary circumstances. Marketresearch conducted among employers inthe United Kingdom in 19983 indicates thatit is important to avoid:• inflating the skills and attributes of

refugees;• defining refugee arrivals as ‘needy’,

thereby risking them being perceived asburdens to prospective employers;

• engendering guilt by using shock tactics;• creating the impression that refugees are

the only, or most important, groupexperiencing labour force disadvantage.

While employers and job placementpersonnel may require some awareness ofthe past experiences of refugees, evidencefrom around the globe suggests that thesingle most compelling reason for hiringthem is the valuable contribution they maketo the workplace. Consider communicatingsome of the following messages:• Resettled refugees generally have high

levels of employer loyalty.• Owing to their past experiences, resettled

refugees are generally highly adaptableand hence are likely to settle readily intoa new job.

• While resettled refugees may not haveworked in the receiving country before,many have sound work histories in theircountries-of-origin and asylum.

• A culturally diverse work force cancontribute to a positive company profile.

• Different cultural practices can generallybe accommodated in the workplacewithout compromising safety, hygiene orefficiency.

Also think about providing informationabout:• any language or other assistance which

may be available to employers hiringresettled refugees;

• particular skills refugees or refugeegroups bring with them;

• factors associated with the refugee andresettlement experience that might affectjob-search skills and the capacity toretain employment;

• employer obligations under relevantdiscrimination and equal employmentopportunity legislation;

• special incentives available to employersengaging refugees (e.g. languagesupport, subsidies, tax concessions);

• special programs and supports availableto employers to assist them in orientatingand training new arrivals in theworkplace.

!TAKECARE

—providing language assistance to employers to assist withinitial induction and training;

—providing subsidies and tax-relief to employers hiringrefugees. In those countries where refugees qualify forprograms established for nationals with special employmentneeds, steps may need to be taken to promote theseprograms to employers;

—soliciting the co-operation of key corporations to routinelynotify refugee support and reception programs of vacancies.


IN FRANCE, a non-government refugee support agency,France Terre d’Asile (FTDA), enters into agreements withmajor French employers who agree to make FTDAbranches aware of job vacancies. Refugees selected forpositions are employed on the same basis as otherworkers. However, FTDA maintains contact with them tomonitor the arrangement and to receive feedback fromboth employer and employee. This arrangement isrelatively inexpensive.

SOME refugees havereligious or culturalpractices that maycompromise theiremployment prospectsor, if not accommodatedin the workplace, mayexclude them from someemployment opportunities.For example, practisingMuslims will need flexibilityin their work schedule andspace to participate indesignated prayer times.They may be forbidden towork in positions involvingthe sale or handling of porkor alcohol.

Some employers may beconcerned about employing

Muslim women who wearthe veil (or hajib) believingthat it will compromisesafety or hygiene or affectcorporate image.

Many companies havebeen very successful inaccommodating thesecultural practices. Indeed, avisible commitment to aculturally diverse work forcemay assist in enhancing apositive company profile.Refugee employmentservices can take steps toensure that the culturalpractices of refugees do notgive rise to difficulties,including:• the inclusion of relevant

cultural information inprofessional developmentprograms for jobplacement personnel;

• awareness raisingprograms to assistemployers toaccommodate culturalpractices;

• advocacy on behalf ofindividual refugees whohave experienced lack ofunderstanding or activediscrimination. In somecases this may involveinvoking the authorityprovided by existing anti-discrimination and equalemployment opportunitylegislation.

➔ Accommodating culture




‘‘

’’

Fortunately I have a goodboss who understands me,

who knows about thesituation in my country. Hewas also really kind to me

and helped me a lot.Initially I had real

difficulties inunderstanding this new

system of work.Resettled refugee

Engaging employers


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EMPLOYMENT


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187

Placement practices as toolsfor promoting employment

From time-to-time, countries of resettlement have offeredresettled refugees placement in communities whereunemployment rates are low or there is an unmet demand forlabour in specific industries. In others resettled refugees havebeen offered financial and practical support to relocate fromtheir initial placement site to communities where they havespecific employment opportunities or where unemploymentrates are lower.

While these are effective strategies for promoting economicself-sufficiency, it is important that they are considered in thecontext of community capacity to meet other integration goals,such as ethnic community and social support and the costsand benefits of secondary migration in the early resettlementperiod (see Chapter 2.1).

Addressing racism, discrimination and exploitationin the workplace

Refugees, in particular those with characteristics (such as accent,racial features or cultural practices) that distinguish them fromthe dominant culture of the receiving society, may be vulnerableto racism and discrimination. This may affect their prospects ofsecuring employment in the first instance, their opportunitiesfor advancement within the work force and the degree to whichthey are accepted by fellow workers. Particular hostility may bedirected to refugees settling in areas or seeking employment inindustries where unemployment is high as they may be viewedas unwelcome competitors for scarce jobs.


PART 1

REFUGEEWORKS, the USOffice of RefugeeResettlement’s nationaltechnical assistance officefor employment, wasaware that both Muslimworkers and theiremployers harbouredmisconceptions aboutwhether it was possible for

Muslim women to workwhile at the same timeobserving their prayertimes and their traditionalpractice of wearing theheadscarf.

Working closely withadvisers from the Muslimcommunity, Refugeeworkshas developed a campaign

aimed at raising awarenessof the needs of Muslimworkers, the ways thesecan be accommodated inthe workplace andemployer’s obligationsunder anti-discriminationand equal employmentopportunity legislation.

Enhancing cultural accommodation



Poor alternative employment prospects, language differencesand lack of knowledge of their rights as workers may also makenew refugee arrivals particularly vulnerable to exploitation byemployers4. Mature aged refugees, women and refugees withdisabilities may face the compounding effects of discriminationon the grounds of their age, gender and ability (see Part Three).

In countries with a long history of culturally diverse migrationthere are legislative frameworks in place aimed at preventingdiscrimination and promoting equal opportunity in theworkplace. Services established to support refugee resettlementhave used this framework as a basis for both raising awarenessamong employers of their obligations to refugee applicants andworkers and for advocating the rights of individual refugees.Labour unions are also important partners in protecting theindustrial rights of refugee workers.

The role of labour unions

Labour unions have an important role in protecting the rightsof refugees; in promoting a hospitable environment in theworkplace; and in ensuring that refugees have access toopportunities for employment, retraining and advancement. Inmany countries wages and conditions are generally better inunionised sections of the labour force.


➔ The advantages of special employment programsfor resettled refugees

THE NEEDS of people fromrefugee backgrounds arebetter served in the longterm by ensuring that theyhave access to themainstream labour marketand to labour forceprograms provided fornationals. However, in mostcountries it is recognisedthat intensive support willbe required in the earlyresettlement period and thisis often best providedthrough a program tailoredto the needs of refugees.

Special refugeeemployment services andprograms may also have arole in ensuring thatrefugees have access tomainstream labour marketprograms and employmentopportunities by:• advocating on behalf of

individual new arrivals toemployers and educationand training institutions;

• providing language andtranslation assistance;

• providing information onculture and employmentpractices;

• raising awareness of theskills and attributes ofrefugee arrivals toemployers;

• working with employers,labour unions, educationand training institutionsand labour marketprogram providers toenhance employmentopportunities for newarrivals and to addressbarriers to equalemployment opportunity.

‘‘’’

I was lucky, I only havegood memories but I wasalways very active. I was

willing to work more and Iwas always looking for

more opportunities.Resettled refugee

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Some unions may be difficult to engage, seeing refugees ascompetitors for scarce jobs and as potentially undermininghard won wages and conditions, by offering a cheaper or morecompliant labour source. However, in many countries, theyhave been powerful integration partners, recognising thecontribution refugees make not only to the work force andeconomy of the receiving country, but to the membership baseof labour unions themselves.

For those new arrivals originating from countries with a strongunion heritage, labour unions can also provide an importantavenue for making social connections and developing skills incivic participation.

It is important that resettled refugees are provided informationabout labour unions and their role in the receiving society.Unions in a number of countries of resettlement haveconducted education programs targeted to ethno-culturalcommunities.

The political leverage of labour unions may make themimportant partners in garnering broader government andcommunity support for integration programs. For example, in1999, trade unions in Denmark collaborated with employers andnon-government agencies to conduct the See Difference as anAdvantage campaign. The aim of the campaign was to draw theattention of other workers and prospective employers to theresources ethnic minorities – among them refugees – bring tothe labour market and to promote equal opportunity and counterdiscrimination. The campaign involved a number of strategiesincluding media promotion, a work based stand-up comedyshow, resources to assist employers to develop ethnicallyinclusive workplace policies, lobbying and network formation.


PART 1

‘‘

’’

New arrivals from everycontinent have contributed

their energy, talent andcommitment to making

the USA richer andstronger. Likewise the

American Union Movementhas been enriched by thecontributions and courage

of immigrant workers.Newly arriving workers

continue to makeindispensable

contributions to thestrength and growth of ourunions. These efforts have

created new unions andstrengthened and revived

others, benefiting allworkers, immigrants and

native born alike.Resolution of the American

Federation of Labour,July 2001

ACHIEVING ECONOMIC SELF-SUFFICIENCY

GOOD

PR

A

C T I C E F EA

TU

R

ES

OVERALL A SOUND INTEGRATION

PROGRAM WOULD:

• offer a program for providingindividualised assessment and jobplacement assistance for refugeeswhich is sensitive to the refugeeand resettlement experience;

• have strategies to preventdiscrimination against and promoteequal employment opportunityamong refugees, targeted to bothemployers and refugeesthemselves;

• offer support for refugees wishingto establish small businesses;

• aim to support refugees to competeon an equal basis with nationals inthe labour market and to advancein the labour market commensuratewith their skills, experience andaptitude;

• incorporate strategies to promoteand support employmentopportunities for refugee women,refugee young people and refugeeelders (see Part Three).

SPECIFIC PROGRAMS ESTABLISHED

TO SUPPORT REFUGEE

EMPLOYMENT WOULD:

• foster a partnership approach withresettled refugees to ensure thatthey play an active role in and havea sense of ownership of the jobsearch process;

• support resettled refugees torepresent themselves to employersby assisting them to accuratelyassess their abilities and jobpossibilities;

• provide language assistance;• provide support which is sensitive

to the needs of refugee women,elders and young people(see Part Three);

• engage employers and labourunions;

• engage refugee communities inplanning and implementation;

• promote refugees as assets toemployers in receiving countries;

• provide or facilitate access tosupport with practical barriers(child care, transport, tools oftrade);

• promote access to meaningful andsustainable employment.

More recently unions in the USA conducted a series of ralliesaimed at securing change in immigration laws applying toimmigrants without valid entry documentation. Unions in thatcountry have also played a significant role in placing refugeesin jobs and in offering formalised retraining programs.




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