Refugee Employment Integration Program (Ireland)
About this good practice
Problem Addressed:
Employment not only helps to provide financial stability, but also provides a sense of purpose, belonging and connection to community. A lack of knowledge of the Irish labour market, recruitment processes, non-recognition of prior work experience/qualifications, and limited English language skills pose significant challenges to finding work. This is compounded by the experience of ‘institutionalisation’ under the Direct Provision system. For women this is further exacerbated due to the lack of sufficient childcare supports.
How Objectives are reached:
Irish Refugee Councils’ ‘Mná nah Éireann Employment Integration from Day One,’ program empowers refugees and asylum seekers to gain employment through mentoring and advice.
Mentors:
• explain the entitlements of international protection applicants & refugees to work in Ireland
• provide general information on employment rights and entitlements
• explain Irelands’ taxation system, and how to register with Irish tax office
• provide guidance on financial planning, how employment affects social welfare, medical card, social housing entitlement and income thresholds for joint family visas
• sign-post organisations who can further assist candidates in finding employment in Ireland
• create links with employers to accept prior learning, gaps in CVs etc
• work with people to access employment – CV skills, personal presentation etc
Stakeholders: IRC; IP applicants, refugees. marque employers, corporate entities
Resources needed
2 x IRC full time staff (50% of their time), plus 1 x SMT time for managing (10% of their time), plus costs for hosting of clinics and mentoring sessions. Overall cost of €95k per annum. Donations and corporate sponsorship fund these costs.”
Evidence of success
Mná nah Éireann Employment Integration From Day One project results achieved include:
• 240 women enrolled for the Integration From Day One programme
• 126 women completed the programme.
• 105 women received individual employment coaching.
• 30 women enrolled for upskilling programmes.
• 20 women progressed to sustainable employment
• 12 women supported to secure internships.
• 7 partnerships with employers secured.
Potential for learning or transfer
The Irish Refugee Council’s ‘Mná nah Éireann Employment Integration from Day One’ program is successful and could be transferred because the programme empowers female refugees and migrants to take ownership of their employment opportunities and empowers them through understanding of their employment rights and entitlements. Explains Irelands’ taxation system, and how to register with Irish tax office, along with guidance on financial planning, and how employment affects social welfare, medical card, social housing entitlement and income thresholds for joint family visas. Having this information in one place provides confidence and a structured support for the participants. On the other hand it bring employers close to talented and hard working persons who they are confident to take on as the IRC is vouching for them having participated in their programme.
Further information
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