Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
Supporting professionally qualified refugees and other migrants into employment
Colleagues from School of Humanities and Social Sciences and Carnegie School of Education have been looking at how the prospects of professionally qualified migrants can be improved and supported.
Refugees and other migrants may be highly qualified and experienced professionals, and have skills in areas where there are labour market shortages, but many remain unemployed or underemployed. As well as consequences for the economy and welfare dependency, this has significant impacts on the health and wellbeing of individuals (and by extension, their families) as their profession forms a key part of their identity, status, and social networks (Willott & Stevenson 2013; MacKenzie Davey & Jones 2020).
Over 160 professions in the UK are regulated by law, where there is a legal requirement to have certain qualifications or experience (or meet an alternative condition or requirement) in order to undertake certain professional activities or use a protected title. For migrants, one key issue is the question of whether their qualifications gained overseas are recognised. The process for this was to an extent governed by EU membership but the Government is now developing policy and processes for the UK. However, while addressing regulatory issues, the policy does not explicitly seek to develop a more proactive approach to supporting individuals. The literature across a range of professions and European countries indicates that there is a greater role for professional bodies to integrate and enhance employment prospects (Willott & Stevenson 2013; Zacher 2019), including outreach and support activities (Ng Chok et al 2018) and recognition of qualifications (Mhurchú 2007).
Dr John Willott is working with Leeds Beckett colleagues Dr Naeema Hann and Dr Nicole Whitworth on a project led by Migration Yorkshire and funded by the EU Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund. This includes a review of the policies and activities of professional bodies to support refugees and other migrants into their disciplines, and research into the experiences of migrants in seeking professional employment. The aim to produce a best practice guide to help professional bodies understand the needs of migrants and to develop appropriate support.
Please email John for more information. We are particularly interested in hearing from migrants, both those who have successfully developed their careers in the UK, and those who are still facing barriers, and from anyone within a professional body who wishes to be involved.
References
MacKenzie Davey, K. & Jones, C. (2020). Refugees’ narratives of career barriers and professional identity. Career Development International 25(1), 49-66
Mhurchú, A.N. (2007). Recognition of Professional Qualifications: An Analysis of the Role of Professional Bodies. Integrating Ireland, Dublin
Ng Chok, H., Mannix, J., Dickson, C., & Wilkes, L. (2018). Experiences of registered nurses from a refugee background: A scoping review. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 27(7-8), e1275-e1283
Willott, J., & Stevenson, J. (2013). Attitudes to employment of professionally qualified refugees in the United Kingdom. International Migration, 51(5), 120-132
Zacher, H. (2019). Career development of refugees. In Athanasou J.A & Perera H.N. (eds.) International Handbook of Career Guidance pp. 359-384. Springer, Cham
Dr John Willott
John is the Postgraduate Course Director for Politics & International Relations, and current research expertise is refugee integration, employment and education.
