Sparking Systems Change Together
The Transforming Employment Narratives (TEN) program addresses the systemic challenges refugee claimants face in the job market, which result 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:
1.
The importance of networking, mental health, and recognizing their lived experiences.
2.
The need for reassessing biases in hiring practices to foster inclusive environments and professional growth
3.
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 sessions of discussions centered around changing the employment landscape for refugee claimants. The sessions focused on addressing systemic barriers in hiring practices and fostering a more inclusive and equitable workplace environment. Key topics included anti-racism, anti-oppression, and trauma-informed care, with a strong emphasis on developing practical tools and strategies to support refugee claimants in their employment journeys.
These sessions also highlighted the importance of collaboration between employers, migrant-serving organizations, and refugee claimants. The goal was to co-create solutions that align with the real needs and challenges faced by refugees seeking employment. Participants engaged in transformative learning experiences designed to challenge existing mental models and inspire new ways of thinking about diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
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
We explored the critical tension between “survival” jobs and meaningful employment for refugee claimants.
Survival jobs, often low-paying and physically demanding, are necessary for immediate financial stability but may not align with individuals’ skills or career aspirations. These roles can sometimes feel like a trap, hindering the pursuit of more fulfilling work. At the same time, many refugee claimants prefer and choose survival jobs as a desired career path.
TEN sessions revealed key challenges:
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Balancing immediate needs with long-term goals
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Overcoming barriers like unrecognized credentials
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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 in depth the issue of refugee claimant underemployment 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 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
- Regularly check organizational hiring and employment policies and practices for biases
- Establish mentorship programs or plans to support the development and integration of both new and existing employees
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
- Help refugee claimants identify both short-term and long-term goals
- Conduct informational sessions and workshops for employers
- Work with refugee claimants on a one-to-one basis, recognizing where they are at and what their needs are
- Share success stories and case studies of refugee claimants with employers
- Organize job fairs and networking events where employers can meet refugee claimants in person
- Set up mentorship programs where employers can mentor refugee claimants, providing guidance, support, and potential job opportunities
- Encourage employers to offer 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
- Highlight the importance of diversity and inclusion in the workplace
- Collaborate with employers to develop policies that support the hiring and integration of refugee claimants