Almost 1,000 refugees attended a job fair on Wednesday at the Kia Oval cricket ground, where they connected with some of the UK’s largest employers that are looking to fill open roles.
The event, which was hosted by the global hiring platform Indeed, the Tent Partnership for Refugees (Tent), the Department for Works and Pension, and the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), aimed to make the search for work as simple and seamless as possible for local jobseekers, with a focus on refugees.
Attendees gained CV and career guidance as well as opportunities to network directly with employers and, in some cases, register for interviews with actively hiring companies.
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Employers in industries such as healthcare, hospitality, logistics, and retail participated in the event, including Amazon, The Body Shop, Lidl, Marriott International, the NHS, and Starbucks.
In total, more than 500 open positions including barista, chef, electrical and mechanical engineer, and healthcare assistant roles were made available to refugee job seekers.
According to the UN Agency for Refugees, there are 365,258 refugees, including other people in refugee-like situations in the UK. Refugees are less likely to be in employment than the UK-born and migrant population with 51% of refugees in employment compared with 73% for UK nationals, University of Oxford research has shown.
The London job fair is one of several happening across Europe in partnership between Indeed and Tent to help refugees integrate in their new countries through employment. So far, thousands of jobseekers have attended events in Warsaw, Krakow, and Milan with others in Berlin and Amsterdam happening later this month.
Jen Stobart, UK director at Tent, said: “Finding a job is one of the most crucial steps to refugees’ integration in their new communities. Many refugees face multiple barriers to finding a job – such as language, qualifications recognition, lack of social and professional networks, and childcare – and that is why it is so important for the business community to step up, address and overcome these barriers.
“We are thrilled to see so many of our member companies in the UK attend this job fair in London and witness the incredible positive impact it will have on refugees’ lives.”
Vicky Tennant, the UK representative for UNHCR, said: “Refugees bring with them a diverse range of skills, experiences and perspectives representing a significant opportunity for host countries and employers. Hiring refugees can help tackle labour shortages and skills gaps and build a more diverse workforce that fosters an innovative and creative work environment.”
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