Key Takeaways from the Pilot Program

Sparking Systems Change Together

The Transforming Employment Narratives (TEN) program addresses the systemic challenges refugee claimants face in the job market, resulting in underemployment despite their significant skills and experiences. The program aims to create a more inclusive employment system where refugee claimants can find meaningful work and thrive alongside employers.

In February 2024, the TEN pilot program brought together refugee claimants, employers, HR specialists, and settlement workers to collaboratively explore solutions. Key takeaways for refugee claimants include:

The importance of networking, mental health, and recognizing their lived experiences.

The need for reassessing biases in hiring practices to foster inclusive environments and professional growth

The necessary shift towards inclusive practices and facilitating connections between employers and claimants.

You can learn more about the TEN sessions and takeaways here.

What We Covered

During the TEN program, participants delved into discussions centered around changing the employment landscape for refugee claimants.

These sessions highlighted the importance of collaboration between employers, migrant-serving organizations, and refugee claimants with a strong emphasis on developing practical tools and strategies for support. The goal was to co-create solutions that align with the real needs and challenges faced by refugees seeking employment.

Locating Ourselves & Power Analysis

Exploring the development of our social identities, both marginalized and dominant, as sources of strength and wisdom, and as places of deep wounding.

Systems Change 101 and Systems Leadership Capacities

An introduction to the foundational principles of systems change and to systems leadership capacities and capabilities, and support to explore your strengths in systems leadership.

Systems Mapping

An experiment in ‘collective seeing’ to help the ecosystem to see itself and uncover the deeper patterns, structures and mental models influencing refugee claimant underemployment.

Seeing the System

Experiential learning journeys through the perspectives of refugee claimants, settlement agencies and employers.

Reimagining Possible Futures

Co-design scenarios, a creative process to illuminate alternative possible futures, unencumbered by what has been.

Survival vs. Meaningful Jobs

Survival jobs, often low-paying and physically demanding, are necessary for immediate financial stability but may not align with individuals’ skills or career aspirations and can sometimes feel like a trap.

TEN sessions revealed key challenges:

Balancing immediate needs with long-term goals

Overcoming barriers like unrecognized credentials

Dealing with the psychological impact of precarious employment

The program emphasizes the need for supportive employment practices, including training, clear career pathways, improved work environments, and fair compensation. By addressing these areas, employers can help transform survival jobs into stepping stones towards fulfilling and secure employment opportunities. You can learn more about Survival vs. Meaningful Jobs by visiting this page.

Learning Outcomes

For the pilot TEN program, 18 participants made up of refugee claimants, employers, HR specialists, and settlement workers came together. The diversity of participants helped to bring the different perspectives and experiences needed to explore the issue of refugee claimant underemployment in depth and to envision new ways to break down the employment barriers for refugee claimants.

Below are key takeaways from the program:

Coming away from these discussions, some actionable takeaways for refugee claimants include:

Seek training, mentorship, and networking opportunities as well as allies who can help break into meaningful jobs and careers
Understand the importance of life-skills, multicultural expertise, and communication abilities
Learn to navigate the system, the definitions, and processes related to status (e.g., Refugee Claimant, Protected Person)
Find and build a supportive community
Prioritize mental health and wellbeing by acknowledging challenges and seeking support when needed
Recognize the importance of lived experiences
Stay committed to learning and unlearning
Maintain hope and optimism during a slow-changing process

To improve employment for refugee claimants, employers can center refugee claimant voices and experiences. This includes:

Examining hiring and organizational practices for biases and barriers that disadvantage any individuals
Explicitly encouraging refugee claimants to apply
Having refugee claimants at the managerial level of the organization
Creating an advisory committee made up of refugee claimants and other newcomers
Planning ahead for development and mentorship opportunities
Regularly collecting feedback via surveys on employee experiences
Having an understanding of power and position at the leadership level
Being trauma informed, which is significant for employing and working with refugee claimants
Shifting the focus to the potential of refugee claimants rather than making assumptions
Regularly checking in with refugee claimant employees to see how they can better be supported at the workplace

Refugee claimants often come from countries that have significantly different employment systems. Here are some considerations for settlement service providers:

References and connections based on trust hold more influence in hiring decisions than solely relying on resumes and cover letters
There are invisible expectations/requirements in what to include in a cover letter, which are often not accessible or transparently presented to refugee claimant applicants
Employment programs need to balance both short-term needs and long-term career goals
Recognize that refugee claimants often come with significant education, work, and life experiences, and often come with career goals
Work with refugee claimants on a one-to-one basis, recognizing where they are at and what their needs are
Conduct informational sessions,workshops, and job fairs for employers to connect with refugee claimants
Share success stories and case studies of refugee claimants with employers
Set up mentorship programs where employers can mentor refugee claimants, providing guidance, support, and potential job opportunities
Encourage employers to offer paid internships or trial employment periods, allowing refugee claimants to gain Canadian work experience
Assist in creating personalized action plans
Advocate for inclusive hiring policies within companies and at a broader policy level that support the hiring and integration of refugee claimants
Highlight the importance of diversity and inclusion in the workplace