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The Language Hub

Employability & Welfare
Supporting New Scots: Refugee Employment 2023
Image for The Language Hub
Lead Organisation:
The Language Hub
Theme:
Award Amount:
£69,400.80

The Language Hub is a language and cultural centre in the west end of Glasgow. Our mission is to create unique intercultural learning and exchange opportunities for people from all backgrounds.

Our “Supporting New Scots: Refugee Employment 2023” project aimed to deliver a community-based project to enhance the employability prospects of refugees by improving their language skills and understanding of Scottish/UK work culture in order to become more self-sufficient and to decrease the risk of poverty.

New Scots reached
35

Key Information

As part of the Supporting New Scots Project and partially funded by the European Union Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund, this initiative implemented a community-based design that followed a SLSL approach to enhance the employability prospects of refugees.

This was achieved by:

  • Establishing and improving participants’ English language skills while developing an understanding of Scottish and UK work culture.
  • Supporting participants in becoming more self-sufficient and confident, thereby reducing the risk of poverty.

Key Information

Geographical reach

Glasgow city

Dates

April 2023 – November 2023

Target Groups

Refugees

Project Type

We ran two separate groups for up to 20 learners in total twice per week (at 2 hours each) over the course of 4 weeks each time during a period of 28 weeks. This meant, we could support up to 10 individuals in each group for 4 weeks, each time, in order to give everyone the necessary support and attention that they needed; there were 7 blocks of these 4 weeks courses. Participants met twice per week as a group with the same teacher and improved their employability skills, e.g. CV writing, operating job search engine options, office software use, online communication platforms, job interviews. Working with a small number of learners allowed us to consider individual linguistic and employability requirements so that learners felt a personal benefit. We wanted to ensure high quality outcomes rather than mediocre support for large numbers. We considered this vital for a positive and fruitful completion of the learning process which enabled and will enable participants to move forward and to achieve their employability and integration goals. It also allowed learners to come together as a support and learning network which continued for some once they had completed the 4 weeks learning experience.

Situation

In our budget, we included costs for PVG memberships, food hygiene certificates, and barista training for participants interested in these employment fields, as these qualifications serve as valuable additions to New Scots’ CVs. All training sessions were conducted in-house under the supervision and support of our teaching staff.

We also hired additional laptops to enable participants to work effectively and independently on their CVs and job applications.

Furthermore, we organised talks with other agencies to discuss HR matters and employment options, allowing participants to explore their individual circumstances in greater detail.

Involvement of New Scots in project

We ran two separate groups for up to 20 learners in total, meeting twice a week over a 28-week period, with each group participating in four-week blocks.

This format allowed us to support up to 10 individuals in each group, ensuring they received the necessary attention. Participants focused on enhancing employability skills such as CV writing, job search navigation, office software use, online communication, and interview preparation.

Working with a small number of learners enabled us to address individual linguistic and employability needs, prioritising high-quality outcomes over mediocre support. This approach was essential for a positive learning experience, helping participants progress towards their employability and integration goals.

Additionally, this format fostered a supportive network among learners that continued for some even after the programme ended.

Impact

Participants forged strong connections with one another, significantly enhancing their language skills and improving their readiness for employment.

Our budget covered essential costs for PVG memberships, food hygiene certificates, and barista training sessions for those interested in these fields. These qualifications proved to be valuable additions to their CVs. In some cases, we adapted hygiene certificates into alternative online training sessions as requested by learners, ensuring this did not affect our overall course expenditure.

Participants demonstrated enthusiasm for completing these certificates, which were all supervised and delivered in-house, with language support provided by our teaching staff when needed.

They recognised the long-term benefits of these additional qualifications, which increased their chances of securing employment. The geographical flexibility of these certificates allowed them to be used across the UK, with the exception of the PVG, which is specific to Scotland.

Challenges encountered

  • Some of the challenges experienced included:

    Language Barriers: Many participants had very basic or no English language skills. This significantly hindered people’s ability to engage effectively in the job market.

    Cultural Homogeneity: The homogeneous nature of the group sometimes slowed progress, as participants relied on each other for support, limiting their interaction with wider networks.

    Limited Support Networks: There was minimal communication between support providers, leading to a reliance on individuals to connect with the right organisations. Additionally, childcare challenges and a lack of family support made it difficult for some participants to attend training or employment opportunities.

    Work Experience and Employment Barriers: Many participants lacked UK work experience, which presented a significant obstacle to finding employment. Variations in educational backgrounds and missing documents also complicated the process of retraining and job placement.

Solutions

To address the challenges faced by participants, we identified several key solutions:

Increased networking and information sharing are essential. Further training for UK employers is needed to better understand the challenges faced by refugees.

There is a demand for more ESOL and employability projects that incorporate general UK life skills. Through our network, we connected with other ESOL and employability providers, sharing project details with various organisations in Glasgow via the Padlet option on the Glasgow ESOL Forum’s website.

Information was disseminated through our social media channels, and job centres were informed about available options. Participants actively shared details of the programme within their communities, particularly recommending it to friends with lower English proficiency.

Reflections

In delivering this project, we have now determined how we want to move forward with regard to our experiences, our improved knowledge and developing further similar support.
As a result, we are continuing our work with the SCQF to look at having our developed employability and language support course accredited.

This means that participants would receive formal recognition within the Scottish qualifications framework for their learning.

Part of this course will see staff trained further in trauma-informed teaching, as this is essential when working with groups with backgrounds of various type of trauma.

We are looking into the options of training staff to become IELTS examiners as we more aware of the backlog in assessing individuals so they can move forward within (higher/further) education.

We are currently seeking further funding in order to be able to offer more provision for this demographic. As there is no clear progression pathway, there is nowhere directly to signpost students to appropriate and suitable ways to build on their progress.  Further language provision for them is essential.

We will continue to try and fund projects for people in need of opportunities to socialise and network in order to avoid isolation and risk of poverty.

Further Information

Keywords

barista training, cv writing, Employability, ESOL, food hygiene training, hospitality, interview preparation

Contact

Contact:
Michele Gordon

Address:
7 Keith Street
Glasgow
G11 6QQ

Telephone:
Adult classes: 07505 144 476 Children’s classes: 07505 144 476

Email:
info@thelanguagehub.co.uk

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