3rd REETA Conference, in association with LORECA

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3rd REETA Conference, in association with LORECA

• Abdullahi Mohammed - Project Coordinator
• Pepys Community Forum
• Refugee Education Training And Advice
• PartnershipREETA
• Funded by
• Pepys Community Forum, Job Centre Plus, NRF,New
  cross Gate NDC, Deptford ChalengeTrust LTD,
  ACBBA, ESF
• and REED in Partnership

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Refugee Employment Education Training and Advice
Partnership

• REETA strives for full equality of education,
  training and employment opportunities for
  refugees and asylum seekers living in the borough
  of Lewisham.
• The REETA partnership has become a driving force
  in tackling issues refugees and asylum seekers
  face in Lewisham and also unlock their potential
  both as individuals and members of the community.

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REETA Project

• 788 refugees receiving employment advice and
  guidance
• 368 refugees completing ESOL/IT training
• 149 refugees obtaining employment
• 250 refugees attending job fairs
• 400 attended Refugee Week event 2004 and 2005
• 3 Refugee Employment conferences

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Facts and figures

• A government skills audit found wide variations
  in education and employment
• A third of the refugees surveyed by the Home
  Office for the audit said they had good written
  and spoken English, but a quarter had no
  knowledge of English, a reflection of high levels
  of illiteracy in some countries
• Half had received more than 10 years' education,
  and 40 per cent had qualifications
• Two-thirds had been in work and had skills they
  did not use in the UK

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Understanding refugee needs

• Challenges for providers are to
• avoid labelling, and treat refugees and asylum
  seekers as individuals, even if they have support
  needs in common
• be sensitive to cultural and political issues -
  for instance, not using an interpreter from an
  ethnic group which is hostile to that of the
  refugee

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Understanding refugees needs

• Review learners' support needs, as these will
  change over time. They may need specific help in
  periods of transition of status
• Recognise that progression through education,
  training and work may be quite different here,
  and that refugees may not understand the
  implications of choosing a particular course or
  route. They may be used to different learning
  styles
• Understand that their career aims may be
  influenced by what is familiar or high status in
  their home country

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Engaging with employers

• Employment is a key element of the Government
  strategy for integration
• A lot depends on the willingness of employers to
• provide jobs for refugees
• enable attendance at English language courses
  either on site or day release
• provide work placements to refugees who are
  retraining
• make sure their recruitment and personnel
  practices are sensitive to wider diversity
  issues.

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Facts and figures

• Department for Work and Pensions study found
  that
• 60 wanted to participate in training
• 12 of refugees had been on training courses
  since arriving in the UK, most having heard about
  training courses through friends, Jobcentre Plus
  and employers
• those who undertook education and training in the
  UK were more likely to move into paid employment.
  

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Facts and Figures

• According to a report by the Refugee Council,
  asylum seekers have untapped economic potential
• They are relatively young, motivated and want to
  work

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A study into good practice advises that

• Comprehensive induction programmes can help
  retention
• Initial work placement and mentoring can make it
  easier for refugees to fit into the work
  environment
• Employers need guidance on processing
  documentation, including checking references, and
  they want to see more work-specific language
  training made available