A NEW scheme aimed at helping refugees get into work has been launched, and a major Reading-based business is part of it.
Tent UK is a coalition of 70 businesses that are committed to helping refugees secure employment. Among them is Thames Water, currently the only water company to sign up.
It says it wants to hire refugees into a range of roles across its operations across London, the Thames Valley and Home Counties.
To help recruits, it will provide free pre-employment training programmes. Support includes training for HR teams, workshops and peer-to-peer learning.
Tent UK says that in recent years, more than 500,000 refugees have legitimately settled in the country, and have a legal right to work. But they are less likely to be employed than British nationals.
At the same time, the UK is experiencing labour shortages, with almost a million vacancies across key industries such as hospitality, food service and others including manufacturing and healthcare.
Karima Karima Khandker, Director of Resourcing, Skills and Equity, Diversity & Inclusion at Thames Water said: “We are committed to working with Tent UK in helping refugees find and establish the right job for them, as they build a new life for them and their families.
“As the only water company to partner with Tent UK, we are allowing refugees to help provide an essential service to nearly 16 million customers every day.
“This is a noteworthy opportunity to support both refugees into work, and our plans to build a pipeline of skills from our communities to ensure we have a diverse and inclusive workforce that represents the customers we serve.”
The partnership is welcomed by Tent UK’s CEO, Gideon Maltz, who said: “At a moment when UK employers face significant labour shortages, yet refugees across the country struggle to find decent employment, we see an extraordinary opportunity for our work.
“The coalition of companies that has come together to launch Tent UK understands that we need to act at scale to help hundreds of thousands of refugees in the UK secure jobs, rebuild their lives, and integrate into their new communities.
“Tent is uniquely placed and ready to help companies develop ambitious programmes to include refugees.”
And Jen Stobart, UK Director at Tent said: “Refugees face numerous barriers to formal employment, such as lower language proficiency, transportation issues, lack of childcare options, as well as a lack of social and professional networks.
“These hurdles require particular attention from businesses, who – by making small upfront investments and tailoring their hiring practices – can level the playing field and give a fair chance to the many refugees still looking for a job in the UK.”
