We’re pleased to announce a new partnership with furniture giant IKEA, in a bid to upskill and offer employment to nearly two hundred people with refugee status.
We and our colleagues at the Refugee Council have already begun working with IKEA to offer people who came to the UK having fled war, terror, violence and persecution the chance to learn vital new skills and ultimately find long-term employment.
People with refugee protection can often face huge challenges when looking for work in the UK. Some fled their home countries before they completed their education. Others are highly skilled professionals who struggle with having their qualifications recognised in the UK. For many years Scottish Refugee Council and the Refugee Council have worked with a range of businesses to provide specialist support geared around helping refugees adjust to the UK jobs market, re-start or begin new careers and ultimately become financially independent in their new homes.
Neda was supported by Scottish Refugee Council’s employability service and is now enjoying her placement at IKEA in Glasgow. She said: “IKEA and Scottish Refugee Council held five days training which was really useful, especially as we come from different backgrounds and languages. This helped us prepare for our interviews and the placement. Another good thing is that the work placement is for eight weeks. If it was just a short placement, you might not show yourself at your best, but over 8 weeks they have the opportunity to see you grow and learn the language of the business. I love my colleagues already and it has really helped me with my confidence. And even if at the end of this work placement there is no recruitment I can still put this experience on my CV. But fingers crossed they hire me because I love working with IKEA!”
Alshafea came to the UK in 2017 from Sudan and was granted refugee status in 2019. Political turmoil in Sudan prevented Alshafea from completing his degree in his home country, and he is determined to make the most of all of the opportunities he’s been given since starting a placement at IKEA in Sheffield. Alshafea, said: “If you don’t have school certificates or qualifications you need to be so talented to do well here, and I can really see that programmes like this can help build your life in the UK. I have really enjoyed working at IKEA, most importantly because we work so well as a team. We are all very cooperative, listen to each other and always know what we need to do. Our team leader is a really nice and talented man who has treated me really well – for example, he knows that I have a language course on Wednesdays and Fridays so he makes sure this is always factored in when setting the rota for the week. IKEA has always been so accommodating which makes me want to put my all into my work. I am often praised for being punctual and hardworking – sometimes I even turn up half an hour before the start of my shift so that I’m ready and know that the person working the shift before me will definitely get out on time. The role has given me much more confidence and many other skills as well. In fact, my dream is to work at IKEA in Sweden!”
Since the beginning of the partnership in April 2021, IKEA has delivered workshops to 23 refugees, resulting in nine work placements at IKEA Glasgow, Leeds, Sheffield, Peterborough and Croydon. It plans to provide 180 placements over the next 3 years across at least 12 IKEA stores, focusing on parts of the UK where there are resettled refugee communities. In addition to the UK, several other IKEA Group markets run similar programmes to support refugees with training and work opportunities including in Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, Spain and Sweden.
Sabir Zazai, CEO of Scottish Refugee Council, said: “We work with people every day who are desperately keen to get back into paid work and to feel part of society again. Teachers, lawyers, architects, business people who struggle to get their professional experience and qualifications recognised here. We’re grateful to IKEA for coming to us with this opportunity. These paid placements allow people with different career backgrounds the chance to try out new roles and see how transferable their skills are and, crucially, being paid, means people feel valued and recognised for their contribution. Working and earning a living helps restores confidence and a sense of dignity that may have been affected by experiences of conflict, flight and the asylum system itself. When refugees do well we all do well.”
Renae Mann, Executive Director of Services at the Refugee Council, said: “Refugees bring with them an incredible wealth of skills, knowledge and experience that are hugely beneficial to our communities. Through no fault of their own they face hurdle after hurdle when trying to secure employment in our country, particularly when looking for their very first step on the jobs ladder. Together with Scottish Refugee Council, we are delighted to begin working with IKEA, in a joint partnership that will make a huge difference to refugees gaining meaningful employment. It’s vital refugees are given the opportunity to make the most of their abilities, and employment programmes like IKEA’s make that a reality.”
Peter Jelkeby, Country Retail Manager and Chief Sustainability Officer at IKEA UK and IE, said: “At IKEA, we have a huge opportunity to use our world-wide reach, values and vision to continue to create a better everyday life for the many people – especially those who are most vulnerable. We firmly believe that supporting refugees isn’t just the right thing to do – it’s also good for our business. We know that recognising our co-workers’ differences contributes to creativity and supports our growth. We also know that refugees can bring high levels of resilience, adaptability, problem solving, and entrepreneurship. Finding a solution to the migration crisis is a global issue. As a large retailer and employer, we have a responsibility to help tackle it. However, we cannot do it alone. In order to create long-term change, we need to work in collaboration with other businesses and organisations. I’m really proud of our new partnership with the Refugee Council and the Scottish Refugee Council and I hope we can inspire more businesses to join forces with registered charities to find a sustainable solution for those who have been displaced and now face barriers to employment.”
Find out more about our employability support project
