The Refugee Employability Service is now live!

Yesterday Reed in Partnership held two events to mark the launch of the Refugee Employability Programme in London and the North East.

The Refugee Employability Programme is a UK Government-funded initiative designed to support the successful integration of refugees in their new communities through sustainable work and help with developing their language skills.

The service aims to close gaps in the employment rates between refugees and the wider UK population. Faster, more successful entry to the labour market has an economic benefit to the country and better enables refugees to build their life in a new community and improve the long-term prospects for themselves and their families.

The service was developed in consultation with refugees and stakeholders in the refugee support sector, including Migrant Help and the International Organisation for Migration. Service Users can also benefit from a range of accessibility and translation support to aid participation in the service.

Attending the launch in Bermondsey, David Steeds, Department for Work and Pensions London & Essex Group Partnership Manager said, “I’m very excited to be at the launch of the Refugee Employability Programme today. We’re looking forward to helping lots of people move into work. I know our Work Coaches are excited to get people onto the programme and move them closer to employment.”

At the event in Newcastle, Mezon Almellehan from South Tyneside Council commented, “I think this programme is going to be key to integrating families into society and supporting them to be independent, especially financially. One of the main obstacles for families coming to the UK is finding a job, so it’s crucial to have a programme like this which can guide people who really want to work and show them the way to their future career.”

Nii Thompson, Divisional Director for Citizen Services at Reed in Partnership added, “We are really excited to be providing this service. Reed in Partnership has a long history of supporting refugees to work and live in the UK. Thousands of people have benefited from our support as part of our mission to positively transform people’s lives and their communities. I’m confident that our experienced and passionate teams, collaborating with our fantastic partners, will offer great support to people settling to live and work in this country.”

We would like to extend our thanks to everyone who attended one of our events today. If you missed it and would like to get in contact about working with the service, please contact XXXX