MAXIMPACT.COM | FAST TRACK TO EMPLOYMENT

“We like the Fast Track to Employment and Social
Integration programme as it offers an innovative solution
to overcome childcare, transportation and health barriers,
and a great complementary learning to assist FE colleges.
The refugees have an alternative English training provision
whilst being on the waiting lists and during summer holidays
so they can obtain the level of English to further attend
college classes, socially interact and find employment.
Maximpact provides hands-on, flexible and tailored support
to refugees in their employment pathways which places
them appropriately to their background skills and ambitions.”

Ligia Parizzi, ESOL NI Co-ordinator

Fast Track to Employment Programme: Social and Economic Integration of Refugees

Maximpact’s Fast Track to Employment and Social Integration Programme is designed to assist refugees in learning English, and any additional vocational skills needed, in order to become employed in their host countries. In this way, we facilitate social and economic integration for displaced people who are faced with two challenges when arriving in a new country: not being able to communicate in English and not being able to find jobs.

Social and economic integration of refugees in the UK and other host countries is very low due to existing barriers to English language learning and specialised employment support. The barriers to learning English language result from issues of childcare, health, transportation costs, living in rural areas and long waiting lists to government funded classes.

Our programme aims to build bridges between employers, communities and refugees through innovative approaches, which we have been successfully implementing over the last two years in Northern Ireland. The programmes are commissioned by ESOL NI (VPRS) and funded by Department for the Economy since 2018.

This Social and Economic Integration of Refugees Programme provides:

ESOL for employment and social integration: A specialised online, live, programme that equips the participants with appropriate language skills making them ready for employment, further professional development, studies and life skills. The tutoring is delivered through an online virtual classroom, which effectively addressed the issues of childcare, health, transportation costs, living in rural areas and long waiting lists to government funded classes.
Support into employment: We work with employers and social enterprises that provide employment opportunities to the refugees, allowing them to obtain on the job training, income and socio-economic inclusion.

From the Southend Resettlement Service

“I want to thank you again for all the help and support you gave us over the summer. You have been fantastic, in fact I have recently submitted an end of year report to the EELGA for future recommendations to other local authorities to utilise your services for ESOL provision.”

Jade Tagg, Manager

From ESOL NI

“We like the Fast Track to Employment and Social Integration programme as it offers an innovative solution to overcome childcare, transportation and health barriers, and a great complementary learning to assist FE colleges. The refugees have an alternative English training provision whilst being on the waiting lists and during summer holidays so they can obtain the level of English to further attend college classes, socially interact and find employment. Maximpact provides hands-on, flexible and tailored support to refugees in their employment pathways which places them appropriately to their background skills and ambitions.”

Ligia Parizzi, ESOL NI Co-ordinator

From Employer

“We are very satisfied with the work Maximpact has completed to help refugees become job ready – facilitating hospitality organisations such as ours with job ready employees. Maximpact provides an excellent bridge between employers and employees.”

Dr. Bill Wolsey, OBE, Beannchor Group.

From Refugees

“Online English is crucial to my learning and so easy to access. Even when I broke my foot and waiting in the Hospital, I still attended the class! I like the way they teach and I am grateful I am able to attend the class from anywhere.” Sahar, 2019 participant.

“It was very useful for my situation because I can’t go to college – and the reason is that I care for my daughter. So, this course was fantastic for me. I’d love to do another online English course if possible.” Fatima, Summer 2018 participant.

“Maximpact has helped me find employment at SpecSavers which fit my qualifications and skills. They provided a lot of support and accompanied me to the interviews. My wife was not able to attend college classes because she was in between English class levels. Through the online provision, she is now able to learn English. Even now with a baby she is does not need to stop learning, she can carry on.”

Tarek, Learner

How the Programme Works

The social and economic integration of refugees programme is designed to get refugees job-ready quickly, efficiently and cost-effectively.

All participants are assessed and given between 60 and 120 hours of ESOL tuition depending on their existing language proficiency. Participants are provided with ESOL for general employment, social integration and vocational English for a variety of industries including hospitality, social and health care, agriculture, and construction.

During the course of the training, Maximpact organizes job interviews for the participants who can be job-ready within 5 and 25 weeks.

The programme is funded by public and private organisations including foundations, social corporations and employers.

“My name is Mohamad, I work in the Merchant Hotel Housekeeping. I am very happy in this job, as I love to work, it’s a very important part of my life. Working helps me to integrate into society and sharpen my communication skill.” Mohamad.

“Maximpact’s programme has provided me with intensive English for employment training and a job placement opportunity.” Mourad.

“When I arrived in Northern Ireland my first worry was that I couldn’t speak English. I wish we would have learned it a little before we arrived here. It would have helped us settle in. It was very hard for us, especially for me as I wasn’t able to enjoy my social life as I was able to in Syria, and here because of lack of language I wasn’t able to communicate and make friends. I wasn’t even able to speak to my neighbours. I’ve found difficulties to complete the essential parts of the life, such as shopping, dealing with letters, appointments and communicating with doctors and many more, all because of the inability to speak the language. I found it really hard as I couldn’t ask, and I wasn’t able to understand at all.” Samia, Winter 2019 participant.

Some of our previous programmes

Over the last two years we have been providing the programmes commissioned by ESOL NI and funded by Department of the Economy, in Northern Ireland. The participants live in areas including Belfast, Downpatrick, Lisburn, Lurgan and Enniskillen.

Fast Track to Employment and Social Integration

Maximpact implemented 80h of Language for Social and Employment Integration on behalf of ESOL NI Co-ordination Point for three groups of Syrian Refugees. This provided access to refugees that were unable to access government funded college classes and employment support to those who are able to work.

Fast Track to Employment for Hospitality

Maximpact implemented five weeks Language for Hospitality Training on behalf of ESOL NI Co-ordination Point for a group of Syrian Refugees. At the end of the forth week of the training, Maximpact placed all the participants in jobs in the hospitality sector. The training was carried out online.

Fast Track to Employment for Social Care and Nursing

We implemented twelve weeks Language for Social Care and Nursing training on behalf of ESOL NI Co-ordination Point for another group of Syrian refugees. At the end of the training, Maximpact placed all the learners into jobs with Bluebird Care UK. The training was carried out online. For those refugees who did not have access to iPad or computer, we provided this and instructions on how to use a virtual classroom.

Why Fast Track to Employment and Social Integration is the Right Solution

Our programme addresses the multiple and complex barriers to employment and social inclusion of refugees in Northern Ireland, East of England, Wales and Midlands.

The gap in provision of and access to ESOL classes:

Research shows that refugees wait on average one year, and in some regions two to three years, for government funded English classes (click here to read more about it). Colleges struggle to meet the demand due to government spending cuts, and in some rural areas there is no or little provision of government-funded classes, especially for the lower levels of English.

Over one third of the refugee population faces practical barriers such as childcare, transportation and disabilities, inhibiting then to attend government-funded formal college classes.

High rate of unemployment:

Recent internal research carried out by the Home Office is showing that only 10% of the refugees are in employment in the UK.

There are around 120,000 refugees in the UK (UNHCR), majority from Syrian, Afghanistan, South Soudan, Myanmar, Somalia and Democratic Republic of Congo. Only 56% of working age are in employment and according to other statistics 70% are unemployed in the UK.

According to Starting Afresh, three-fifths of newly arrived refugees fail to find work , linking it to struggling to find sustained employment appropriate for their skill level.

Interested in running a Fast Track to Employment and Social Integration programme? Contact us

Everyone can make a change and contribute towards helping refugees, communities and governments in the refugee crisis.

Whether you are a corporation that wants to do good, a foundation who is looking to allocate funds towards refugee programmes or from resettlement programmes and other government bodies, you can contact us and let us run a Fast Track for Employment programme for you.

For more information contact Caroline Kennedy

Vocational Training on Demand

Alongside our Social Integration programme we also offer vocational training which we have designed and can tailor to suit various requirements.

Current training courses that we offer include coding, care, hospitality, agriculture, construction and other training options can be made available upon request.

See below our current vocational training options:

Health and Social Care Vocational Training

Health and social care training will train the participants in crucial skills necessary to work in the social care sector.

Agriculture: Packaging Vocational Training

There is a lack of staff in the Agriculture sector. Vocational training in packing fruits and vegetables will prepare the participants to train and find work where the demand is high.

Agriculture: Harvesting & Picking Vocational Training

Farming and agriculture are in high demand for fruit and vegetables pickers. Vocational training will provide learners with practical training and the necessary knowledge to find work in the sector.

Hospitality Vocational Training

Training in hospitality provides vocational training for learners and can be provided for variety of employment. We work with employers in the hospitality industries to make sure the best quality vocational training is provided.

Beekeeping Vocational Training

Training in beekeeping equips all the necessary knowledge and skills to run or work in a bee farm. Training is a blended training of online live classrooms and field training.