14 June 2022. By Joel Lutimba Lumala

“I appreciate your support. I was new in Portsmouth and didn’t know what to do. It was really good that you showed us what to do and we saw that we are not alone. Thank you so much.” 
– Quote from Participant Feedback in May 2022

Since finishing our first quarter of 2022, we have been reflecting on our community service program. We, Work Better Innovations, came out of the lows of the pandemic when the world seemingly stopped but only to glaringly expose the reality of inequalities and marginalisation. The pandemic exacerbated existing crises. The silver lining was that we were offered an opportunity to think bigger about how we could fill in the many cracks we see in the community.

Hence the start of our community service work, in parallel with our client work, as a social enterprise that consults clients on social responsibility and sustainability. We are a team of legal practitioners, scholars and community workers, working both globally and locally to seed change.

We use our social impact profits to support our community activities facilitated by our Director of Community Engagement, Anita David, and Advisor, Shipa Ahmed Khan. We started our first community service project in February 2022, offering Job Preparation Support for Migrant Communities.

“We are delighted to support skilled migrants to take the first steps to be part of the UK economy. This is not hand-holding. This is a tailored programme of support to help build the initial confidence for new migrant arrivals to seek further support, to progress professionally and academically. This is our vision of migrants integrating with dignity in our communities.”
– Anita David, Director of Community Engagement, Work Better Innovations

 In a series of six sessions, and in collaboration with the City of Portsmouth College, we offered training to our first cohort of ten migrant participants in Portsmouth. They came from Afghanistan, Iraqi Kurdistan, Macedonia, Nigeria, Iraq and Turkey. 

Many newcomers to our communities are allowed to work. Some, like those from Afghanistan and Ukraine, have permission to work from arrival. Asylum seekers can apply for permission to work after a year for jobs on the Home Office’s shortage occupation list. There are current discussions for the government to allow asylum seekers to work while waiting on their claim, in light of labour shortages in the UK. Many refugees and asylum seekers want to contribute to the local economy. 

Our bespoke sessions took participants from CV and cover letter writing through to how to prepare for job interviews. We provide them with professional mentoring and a network of colleagues. This project prioritises aiding migrants in their efforts to integrate into the UK economy and spotlights their own resourcefulness and agency.

The statistics on migrants’ labour market integration in the UK point to the need for targeted job preparation support. Migrants can struggle to find employment for a number of reasons. These can be language barriers, limited or no information on the UK job market, and lack of understanding on how to reconfigure CVs for UK recruiters. If prolonged failure to find employment, the result could be their eventual de-skilling, in addition to a potential spiral of alienation and rejection. 

We sent off our participants with the best of wishes, and we are grateful to the many acts of solidarity along the way. Thank you City of Portsmouth College (formerly Portsmouth College and Highbury College) and local businessman and author Peter Fincham, who spoke to our participants on UK workplace culture. Many thanks to all our partners and to our participants!

“It has been a privilege getting to know these amazing individuals. They bring with them so many skills and are highly experienced in their different fields, yet unfortunately these are often not recognised in the UK. 

To hear their personal stories, the struggles and difficulties they face, to then hear their aspirations are truly inspiring. They are dedicated to making their lives better, and I feel honoured to be a small part of their journey to success.

With thanks to Work Better Innovations and the City of Portsmouth College we have been able to offer tailored support to meet their needs. I am grateful for the opportunity to help where I can.”

– Shipa Ahmed Khan, Advisor, Work Better Innovations