Our policy work on employment and training issues affecting refugees and asylum seekers covers a number of areas.
Empowering Asylum Seekers
We are seeking to influence in order to open up access to higher education and to restore the right to work. We do this through building partnership with key organisations and developing clear proposals for policy change. One example of this is our current campaign with the Trades Union Congress to ensure that asylum seekers are entitled to work in the UK.
We were successful in challenging the Government’s decision to deny asylum seekers to access further education funding, including English for Speakers of Other Languages. As a result, asylum seekers are now eligible for funding after six months. However, we continue to push for eligibility from the day of someone’s asylum claim.
Refugee Employment
We are the lead partner of Refugees into Teaching (RiT), a Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) funded project supporting refugee teachers to requalify to teach in the UK. We have clarified policies affecting employment-based training and teaching opportunities for refugee teachers. We have also improved the guidance given to schools on recruiting refugee staff and volunteers. We respond to Home Office guidelines for employers that impact on refugees and work with a number of partners to develop better measures for supporting refugees into employment.
Equality and Diversity
We are working with a range of organisations, including the Equality and Human Rights Commission, to ensure that refugees and asylum seekers are protected from discrimination and have equality of opportunity. This is a key issue and feeds into all areas of our policy work. For example, it covers the learning needs of asylum seeker and refugee pupils, recruitment of refugees into jobs and training, access to English language provision and interpreters, Government strategies for black and minority ethnic employment and widening participation in higher education.
English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)
Along with our policy work on ESOL for asylum seekers, we are pressing for refugees to be entitled to English language courses. This has included responding to the Department for Innovation, University and Skills’ (DIUS) consultation on ESOL and community cohesion and continuing membership of the National ESOL Forum. English language links up a number of areas, including our work on Citizenship and wider refugee integration.
Higher Education
We want to widen the participation of refugees and asylum seekers in higher education. Our policy work has led to DIUS improving its guidance on access to student support for people with limited leave to remain. We are currently working in partnership to seek a change in policy for asylum seekers so that they qualify for funding as home students.
Education, Training and Employment Working Group (ETEWG)
The Education, Training and Employment Working Group (ETEWG) is a network of refugee agencies, higher and further education institutions, public, voluntary and community sector organisations. It brings together practitioners who are working to improve opportunities for refugees and asylum seekers to access further education, training and employment opportunities.
The ETEWG is convened four times a year by the Refugee Council. It provides an opportunity for members to share good practice, discuss policy and legislative developments and respond formally to areas of concern to the group.
