The
Government has been urged to relax the rules on refugees attending training
courses to improve the chances of them getting work.
The
Employability Forum, an independent organisation, set up to promote the
employment of refugees in the UK, says the Government needs to create a
coherent strategy to provide better quality English teaching to help refugees
find work.
The
forum is calling for a review of the rule that prevents refugees from attending
classes for more than 16 hours a week.
It
claims that language is the single most important factor in refugees finding
employment and says that currently there are problems because employers are not
aware of what training is available.
There
is also confusion among employers about who is eligible for funding and support
and concerns that there are not enough courses to match demand and that
teaching is not focused on the world of work.
Patrick
Wintour, director of the Employability Forum said: “Work is crucial to any
integration strategy and if people are facing barriers to entering the labour
market because of language it is essential the government address them.”
“The
Government has put forward interesting proposals about citizenship which place
an emphasis on learning English and understanding life in the UK, but if they
are to be followed through it is essential the Government puts in place
resources to match its rhetoric.”
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