An attempt to create a database of refugee workers has shown how important
their skills are to the UK economy.
The Refugee Nurse Taskforce, created in May this year, already contains
information on 200 nurses and offers refugees valuable advice about returning
to practice, gaining the appropriate UK qualifications and achieving suitable
language skills.
The creation of databases of refugees’ skills was central to Personnel
Today’s award-winning Refugees in Employment campaign, to enable the Government
to identify the talents that employers could draw upon to help close the UK’s
skills gap.
Roswyn Hakesly-Brown, chair of the Refugee Nurse Taskforce, said:
"Refugees are an untapped workforce that we really do need. They are here,
they are enthusiastic and tenacious and they have huge skills to offer."
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Hakesly-Brown said that the problem of nursing shortages in the UK would
become more acute as the US continues to poach British nurses by ‘waving green
cards, inducements and high salaries’ at them.
Minister for work Des Browne praised the initiative for helping improve the
chronic shortfall in medical personnel in the UK.
