Breaking Barriers

Calling all businesses committed to making a difference 📣 At Breaking Barriers, we are incredibly fortunate to have a strong and dedicated #BusinessBehindRefugees movement, that is united to improve the lives of refugees in the UK through meaningful employment. We're proud to launch our film which highlights the aims of Business Behind Refugees, as well as our partners in action and what it means to be a part of the movement 🎥 Our Business Behind Refugee partners are from a range of different sectors who are supporting refugees into meaningful employment through skill-building volunteering and recruitment pathways 💙 Watch the film and help us share it far and wide. There is so much potential for businesses to get involved! 👉 Find out more on our website: https://loom.ly/L7AeKzk

We are so proud of this recognition for Breaking Barriers' team and everyone from Barclays Lifeskills, LinkedIn and Microsoft who was involved in this award-winning partnership. Thank you to you all, to the Employment Related Services Association (ERSA), and a huge shout out to our amazing refugee clients who seized the opportunities offered with such enthusiasm! #businessbehindrefugees #ERSA #EmployabilityAwards #partnership

Good luck to everyone who's been shortlisted for tonight's Employment Related Services Association (ERSA) Employability Awards! Breaking Barriers is proud to be in the running for Employer Partnership of the Year. Our innovative work alongside Barclays Lifeskills, LinkedIn and Microsoft leveraged each organisation's unique strengths, and we're delighted by the impact these companies have had for refugees. One of our inspiring clients, Manoel, is also shortlisted for the Outstanding Participant Award. Manoel has overcome huge barriers to build a new life in the UK and advocate for other marginalised people. He'd be such a worthy winner, and we'll have our fingers crossed for you tonight, Manoel! #ERSA #EmployabilityAwards #goodluck #partnership #inspiringclients

Did you know that funding from the European Union used to provide a lifeline for refugees in the UK? A lifeline that came to an end on 31st December 2023. Almost one year on, we remain resolute. We believe everyone who has fled war, persecution or violence still deserves security and the chance to fulfil their potential. But we're facing a challenging funding environment at a time when demand for our support is greater than ever. Could you offer a new lifeline to refugees with a donation to Breaking Barriers today? Your gift to our 'Be the Difference' appeal could be doubled, at no extra cost to you. Find out more: https://loom.ly/jI-3cwY

When Olena fled to the UK from Ukraine, she had experience working at a mental health organisation but struggled to find work in the UK. The barriers that Olena faced to employment will be familiar to many refugees. But despite this, like many of our clients, Olena successfully found a job. She now works an assistant phycological wellbeing practitioner in the NHS. Breaking Barriers supported her with interview preparation and her CV. "For the first time in the UK I felt that someone actually cared about me, cared about my work prospects and guided me to towards getting a job and getting on my own two feet" - Olena We'll be cheering Olena on as she works towards her future dreams of getting more qualifications, becoming a CBT practitioner, and maybe one day returning to Ukraine to use her new skills to help people in her country.

We love what our data can reveal. When we look our refugee client data, it mostly tells us that behind the label 'refugee' is an incredibly diverse group of people who can't be neatly put into a box. - Our clients come from 79 different countries, speak over 100 languages, and are aged 18 to 50+. - 67% spend over a year waiting to receive their refugee status. One in 20 waited longer than 10 years. During this time, they are usually not allowed to work. - 49% are degree educated. Three quarters have the equivalent to A Levels, and 87% have qualifications equivalent to finishing secondary school. This means, on average, they have a higher level of education than the British public as a whole. - Before enrolling with us, 64% had more than 3 years of work experience abroad or in the UK, and 38% had more than 10 years. - Despite high levels of education and experience, 79% of our clients were either unemployed or economically inactive when they enrolled with us. Every day our clients are overcoming the barriers they face to employment - creating CVs, applying for jobs, improving their English and digital skills, attending employability workshops and job fairs, connecting with mentors and building their networks, practicing for interviews, volunteering, undertaking work placements, and securing new jobs. In our last financial year we supported more clients than ever before - 1,247 in total. Of these, 480 people achieved 709 employment, education, training or volunteering outcomes during the year. Our clients don't achieve this in isolation. As the saying goes, it really does take a village. So we would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has supported us, partnered with us, encouraged and believed in us. Thank you. 💙

Thank you, Umer, for being part of this important workshop. We're so grateful to be collaborating with PayPal and its dedicated team, to help empower refugees and asylum seekers on their journey into meaningful employment. Your support makes a real difference in creating pathways to success!

October was an incredibly impactful month for us, as we continue to work closely with our fantastic partners to support refugees on their journey to meaningful employment 💙 👉 Here are some highlights from the impactful workshops we ran: - We held a workshop on the 8th October with Barclays LifeSkills, that was focused on CV and interview skills, equipping our clients with the essential tools to succeed in their job searches. - On 17th October, we collaborated with Wells Fargo on a workshop about personal branding, helping our clients to effectively present themselves in a competitive job market. - We celebrated a significant milestone with an employability workshop in #Glasgow alongside Ashurst, focusing on CVs and cover letters. This event marks an exciting opportunity to reach more people in the community! - Together with Liberty Global, we delivered an exciting workshop on the 30th October on "AI for Empowerment," to explore how AI can enhance job search strategies for our clients. These initiatives are not just about skills, they are about creating an inclusive community where refugees can thrive and access meaningful employment. 👉 Find out more about how we work with businesses: https://loom.ly/EXsqAQQ #BusinessBehindRefugees

💙 "Motivated" "Inspired" "Grateful" "Connected" "Uplifted" "A sense of solidarity." 💙 That's how our team and guests felt after the Business Behind Refugees showcase this week. We brought our business community together with our Lived Experience Panel consultants for an inspiring afternoon of collaboration, connection, learning and networking. What do we all have in common? The determination and ambition that businesses can improve the lives of refugees in the UK through meaningful employment. Top takeaways: 1) It's all about collaboration - internally, with other businesses, with refugees and with charities. We need to listen, learn, connect and work with each other. 2) Start small, pilot and go from there to explore what strategies work best. It's a journey, be prepared to learn a lot along the way. 3) Employee engagement and volunteering is one of your most powerful tools. By connecting with refugee communities, employees gain new skills, a better understanding of the challenges thar refugees face, and they will quickly become strong advocates for your programme. 4) Evidence, proof points and real stories all help get senior-buy in. Use them and your programme has a chance to be more sustainable and long-term. 5) There’s not a one-size fits all approach. Partnering with an organisation that has expertise means better tailoring your programmes to have most impact for refugee communities, which also means value for money. With a HUGE thank you to our expert panel for sharing their insights and experiences, including our Lived Experience Panel members, Nanou Thassinda and Fatima Abbas, William Stumpf from Cummins Inc., Laura Mountain from City & Guilds, Louka T. from Shell and our fantastic host Rachel Engel from Macquarie Group. #BusinessBehindRefugees To find out how your business can hire and support refugees please contact partnerships@breaking-barriers.co.uk

We love our partners. We have a particular soft spot for those who not only stick with us through all the ups and down that come with a growing charity, but who also encourage us to innovate and try new things! One of those partners is BNY. It's been a fantastic five-year whirlwind of a partnership, involving funding, masterclasses, mentoring, panel events, networking for refugees, courses, and lots and lots of employee volunteering. They supported our expansion to Manchester, ran job fairs, and piloted new initiatives such as speed mentoring. Don't just take our word for it. The incredible Robin Savchuk has written a guest blog for us, outlining everything that's happened, plus top tips for other businesses who want to support refugees. Have a read here 👉 https://loom.ly/KHCjkNA #BusinessBehindRefugees