The EU Funded GLIMER Project has recently published a report about Displaced Migration and Labour Market Governance in Scotland. Some of the recommendations they developed are below reported:
- New Scots policymakers should consider expanding labour market policies regarding refugees to promote informed, active support for refugee enterprise and employer engagement. Policies and services related to ‘mainstreamed’ employability, enterprise and labour market equalities should actively consider refugee-specific provisions. Such as tailoring access to immigration status, factoring in obstacles of geography to access provision, and addressing language needs directly.
- Service providers should consider how to more comprehensively support refugee populations and Resettlement teams located outside the Central Belt. However, as this is likely to have resourcing implications in an already pressurised context, national and local government should explore options for supporting this work.
- The development of a national approach towards labour market access for refugees that ensures local employability and labour market services are informed about and supported on issues related to displaced migration. Enhanced training and support for local authority officers to ensure labour market approaches that are tailored to and appropriate for local labour market conditions.
- An information gathering and analysis exercise across third sector employability and JobCentre Plus services may provide insight into specific refugee labour market dynamics in Scotland.
- For refugee employability services to be effective, efficient and sustainable, resourcing from the Scottish Government should be increased. This extra resourcing is required to support specific, publiclysponsored services for refugee women. JobCentre Plus funders might consider the long-term potential of funding support for refugees ‘far from the labour market’ rather than the short-termism of supporting only those already labour market ready. Third sector service providers already working with private sector employers on brokering programmes might consider seeking resourcing and partnership for refugee employability initiatives.
- Stakeholders reported that employer engagement brokering programmes would benefit from Scottish Government supporting or facilitating such initiatives. The development of publicly available information that details the mechanisms and potential benefits of employing refugees, to counter existing information that emphasises only potential penalties.
To read the full reccomendations list and report please visit here