Preparing refugees for work and life in England
Refer people to the Refugee Employability Programme for support
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About
The Refugee Employability Programme (REP) is a Home Office initiative for the specific needs of refugees, to give them the support they need to find work and build their lives in England
A range of accessibility and translation support is available to help refugees participate on the REP.
If you are in contact with a refugee who could benefit from using the REP in London and the North East, you can refer them to us here.
Start referral →
How it works
The REP aims to remove barriers which cannot be fully addressed by mainstream services.
The service was developed in consultation with refugees and stakeholders in the refugee support sector.
The REP uses a case-working model. Each refugee is allocated a Case Manager to assess their needs and work with them to develop a tailored plan. The Case Manager reviews their progress regularly to ensure they are getting the most from the service.There are three main types of support provided by the REP. Which elements a refugee receives will depend on how they have entered the UK and what support they already receive.
The three types of support are:
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Employability support
Ensuring an appropriate level of support is provided to refugees to build their skills and talent and access sustainable local work. This includes:
- Identifying the right jobs to apply for
- Creating a CV
- Job searching in the right places
- Learning new skills through training
- Accessing work experience opportunities
- Finding out more about local work culture
- Develop digital inclusion skills
- Accessing funding for training or travel
- Improving money management skills
- Submitting job application
- Practicing for job interviews
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English language support
Language skills are integral to employability and a refugee’s wider integration journey.
For those not accessing other available mainstream provision, the REP provides English Language classes, including English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), invitations to formal and informal conversation clubs and lessons to support learning capacity such as literacy
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Integration support
The REP can help refugees to integrate and settle into their local communities by signposting services such as:
- Community groups
- Healthcare, including GPs, dentists and mental health support
- Childcare
- Housing support
