10 July 2023. Last week we concluded the 5th run of our Employment Support for Migrants program. Our Employment Support Workshops are a journey of preparing for the UK job market. Each workshop takes the participants a step closer to finding meaningful employment.
The group had nine participants from Syria, Iran, Iraq, Gambia, Afghanistan, Turkey, Iran and Eritrea. This group, like the previous ones, was a pool of talent. There were trained nurses, teachers, a graphic designer, a humanitarian aid worker, an electrical engineer and an aspiring architect.
There’s a natural shift in the confidence level when migrants are trying to settle or start their lives in a new environment. The program started with a session of confidence-building strategies to give a boost to their self-esteem. Finding employment in a new setting can be daunting.
The participants were supported in refining their job searches by our brilliant tutor from City of Portsmouth College (COPC). The tutor took them through the practical skills of preparing a CV and cover letter and guided them to sustain professional interviews.
COPC has been our steadfast collaborator since this project first began in February 2022. We thank the college for its dedication to community service.
The talented tutor Bahar Mouland from Workers’ Educational Association (WEA) worked with the participants on important soft skills, such as relaxing techniques before job interviews. She further practised interview skills with the participants, emphasising the importance of appropriate body language.
We are happy to share that three of our participants were fortunate to receive interview calls from prospective employers during the course of the workshops.
WEA’s Bahar Mouland also helped participants to dispel any negative thoughts and create an alternative positive self-talk cycle. She explained about growth and fixed mindsets and their importance in the job search process. We are grateful we can add these important sessions to the employment training thanks to WEA.
Additionally, we invited artist Michelle Ezeuko to facilitate a Vision Board Workshop. The Vision Board session creatively empowered our participants to visualise their future and help them map out their next career steps.
The workshops ended with some positive news from the three participants who were successful in their interviews. Two of the nurses have joined a care home and the third one has started working for a local school.
At WBI, we celebrate each successful employment and continue to mentor other participants who are still on their job search journey.
We thank the wonderful tutors from COPC and WEA and the amazing artist Michelle Ezeuko for equipping our participants with the skills and the confidence they need to start their professional journey in the U.K.
Stay tuned for news on our 6th cohort, to come after the summer. We cannot wait!!
