Warwickshire programme helping Ukrainian refugees find jobs extended after success
Warwickshire’s employment programme for Ukrainian refugees has been granted a four-month extension following its initial success.
In September 2022, Coventry and Warwickshire Community Development Agency launched the Ukrainian Working in Warwickshire Programme (UWWP), which works with Ukrainians who are new to the UK job system. The programme connects clients to employers to whom their skills are fitting.
Many have benefited since the start of the scheme over a year ago. A total of 210 Ukrainians have been successfully referred. The course consists of five community-based employment support sessions. It has seen 130 attendances and completions, 38 reaching the end goal of employment spanning across several sectors.
Supported by Warwickshire Skills Hub, the programme operates closely alongside the Fair Chance Employer Programme, which was employed by Warwickshire City Council, to ensure high-quality, accessible career opportunities, and further paths for jobseekers. Participants in the UWWP can use this portal to seek out jobs within the Fair Chance Employer network.
The new action plan provides county-wide support that is accessible to Warwickshire’s Ukrainian communities
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, thousands of citizens were forced to flee their homes in search of safety. The new action plan provides county-wide support that is accessible to Warwickshire’s Ukrainian communities, which allows them to capitalise on their existing skills and develop their career in the UK.
Many beneficiaries of the UWWP apply for previous positions or lines of work that they pursued in their home country. They are guided through application stages by Employment Support employees, with whom weekly one-to-one sessions are carried out locally to where the participant is residing.
For the majority, qualifications need to be converted and upgraded, alongside the composition of CVs and cover letters in order to be in with a chance of employment. The workshops specialise in tackling interview techniques, soft skills, and employer expectations in the UK. The programme also aids jobseekers in acquiring travel discount cards to get to interviews, UWWP workshops, and meetings at the Jobcentre.
The ultimate aim is to remove the barrier to work, which can be an arduous and often unachievable task for foreign settlers to reach without support.
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