Employers including Amazon, Accenture, Hilton and Marriott International have committed to hiring Ukrainian and other refugees across Europe.
Major recruitment agencies including Adecco, Randstad and ManpowerGroup have also offered to connect thousands of displaced people to employers, as Europe faces its largest refugee crisis since World War II.
To mark World Refugee Day (20 June), more than 40 organisations that are part of the Tent Partnership for Refugees – a non-profit organisation that helps businesses hire, train and mentor displaced people – committed to strengthening their workforces, fill labour gaps and boost European economies by offering jobs and training to refugees over the next three years.
According to Tent, there are as many as 5 million refugees in Europe – mainly Ukrainian women.
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“The moment a refugee gets a job is the moment they stop being a refugee. I’m so proud that the companies stepping up today will help more than 250,000 Ukrainian women and other refugees across Europe stand on their own two feet, giving them a chance to live lives of dignity,” said Hamdi Ulukaya, founder and president of the Tent Partnership for Refugees, and CEO of US-based food company Chobani.
“Ukrainian refugee women face many hurdles when finding jobs – from not knowing the local language to having to juggle childcare responsibilities. Businesses must do more to reduce these barriers, and help these incredible, strong, talented people enter the workforce.”
Margaritis Schinas, vice president of the European Commission, said: “With no end in sight to the Russian invasion of Ukraine – and with the European Union welcoming millions of Ukrainians – it’s imperative that refugees are offered longer-term inclusion and hope through integration into the labour market.
“The opening of the EU’s borders to Ukrainians over a year ago showed Europe at its best. However, one year on, far too many refugees remain unemployed, despite our endemic skills shortages, their high levels of education, desire to earn a living, and legal right to work through the Temporary Protection Directive.”
The major employers that plan to hire refugees include:
- Amazon, which has committed to recruiting at least 5,000 people
- Hilton (at least 1,500)
- Marriott International (at least 1,500)
- ISS (at least 1,000).
Other employers that have committed to hiring refugees in Europe include Adidas, PepsiCo, Pfizer, Starbucks, Suez and The Kraft Heinz Company.
Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, we have helped more than 10,000 refugees connect to work but recognise the increasing need for companies like ours to do even more, given the sobering reality that many are expected to remain displaced for years to come” – Christophe Catoir, Adecco
Recruitment agencies pledged to collectively place 152,000 refugees in jobs with their clients, while several companies including Accenture, Indeed, Cisco, Microsoft and Generali planned to provide training to help refugees develop in-demand skills in IT, coding and cybersecurity.
J Ofori Agboka, vice president of people experience and technology for global operations at Amazon, said: “We know the diversity of our workforce makes us a stronger company, which is why we actively seek to hire people with different backgrounds, skill sets, and levels of experience. We understand the barriers that exist for refugees and other displaced people, and are committed to providing access to meaningful employment.”
Adecco president Christophe Catoir said: “Adecco has a long-standing commitment of supporting refugees in need. Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, we have helped more than 10,000 refugees connect to work but recognise the increasing need for companies like ours to do even more, given the sobering reality that many are expected to remain displaced for years to come.”
Refugees often experience challenges when entering their new country’s labour market, or in finding work that matches their skills or background, said Lucy Murdoch, managing director, corporate citizenship at Accenture.
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“Training opportunities – whether they’re focused on language, industry-specific skills, or learning labour market norms – are critical to help refugee candidates secure meaningful employment,” she said.
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