Government Support Meets Corporate Action: Partnerships in Refugee Employment
Making refugees self-sufficient in the workplace requires engagement among governments, businesses and non-governmental organisations. Government assistance in resettling refugees is essential in providing the necessary tools for refugees to thrive. Yet, corporate engagement can play a critical role in bridging the gap between resettlement and productive employment by facilitating labour market opportunities. This includes partnerships between governments and businesses that provide the keys for refugees to assimilate into their new communities.
The Role of Government in Refugee Employment
Essentially, the Australian government facilitates the resettlement of refugees in the country and their eventual employment through its humanitarian visa program, where refugees are granted legal protection, welfare support and adequate access to housing, healthcare, education etc. From a specific perspective, the government assists refugees in finding work employers through its employment services agencies like Centrelink, and Jobactive (its jobmatch programs).
Yet state-led support is only the first sufficient on its own to ensure the long-term employment success of refugees. A number of practical barriers to employment await them, including linguistic challenges, a lack of local work experience and the need for the official recognition of skills and credentials earned abroad. In fact, it is the business and community partnerships that will allow local organisations to deliver effective services to refugees and other vulnerable groups.
The Role of Businesses in Refugee Employment
Alongside crucial social support, businesses can also help refugees to start and sustain careers. Hiring refugees contributes to the social good of reducing critical labour shortages in sectors and occupations crucial to local economies. Moreover, companies can also benefit from hiring refugees, who are often eager to do a good job and can bring valuable experience and skills to their new positions.
On top of employment and training opportunities, business can contribute to refugee settlement by providing language, mentoring and professional development to enable them to thrive in the Australian job market. A teaching session run by the Refugee Council of Australia. Photo courtesy the Refugee Council of Australia Business can engage in capacity-building for refugee workforce participation because such efforts strengthen business competitiveness.
Examples of Successful Partnerships
There are many examples of partnerships between governments, business and non-profit organisations that offer refugees work placements, training and mentoring for the workplace. For instance, in Australia, the ‘Given the Chance’ programme by the Brotherhood of St Laurence paired refugees with major companies for job placements, training and mentorship to develop accepted work skills.
A third effort is the government’s collaboration with representative industry associations to resolve regional labour shortages. For instance, refugees are placed in sectors where there are skill gaps and increased demand, such as the agriculture and healthcare industries. All of these partnerships are win-win situations for refugees, businesses and the nation.
The Benefits of Collaboration
Built on an enduring understanding and relationship between governments and businesses – working at local as well as national and regional levels – it will increase the chances of any policy for longer-term refugee employment succeeding over the long term. This collaboration should produce a more holistic approach, ranging from training, job-matching and mentoring programmes, to retraining and continued support to refugees for adapting to local labour markets and the world of work, as and when their circumstances change. It represents a win-win for business and refugees.
Furthermore, co-operation between government and business focuses on building social cohesion and inclusion. Work is central to integration and societies. Employees working alongside one another bond and collaborate on common goals. It is one thing being neighbours and co-inhabitants of the same city or island, but it is something quite different to be employers, employees and colleagues, which leads to a feeling of belonging and decreases the potential for marginalisation or social exclusion.
Conclusion
Governments, businesses and non-profits all have important roles to play in making refugees a productive part of the workforce. Working together, governments and businesses can help refugees find stable, fulfilling careers that give them a source of livelihood while contributing to the country. Corporate action, combined with government support, provides a viable pathway for refugees to achieve long-term stability and self-sufficiency.
We hope that the increasing appreciation for such partnerships from the business community and government agencies will continue to open up inclusive diverse workplaces that benefit both refugees and the wider society.
