Starting employment in a sustainable manner
The three partners hope that the World cITizens @ Work project will enable refugees to start and remain in employment in a sustainable manner. In addition, the new project will help reduce the considerable shortage of workers in the IT sector. Conclusion, AUAS, and UAF have entered into the agreement for three years. The first group of refugees will start the programme at AUAS in November and are expected to start employment with Conclusion in September 2024. This cycle will be repeated at least twice.
A fair chance for all
The recruitment and pre-selection of candidates is currently being carried out by UAF. To give everyone a fair chance, candidates are not required to have any specific previous education or IT knowledge. They will, however, be screened by AUAS to assess whether they have the required higher education or equivalent ability. This will then be followed by a candidate-matching procedure so that candidates are placed with a Conclusion company matching their ambitions. During this preliminary stage, UAF will support the candidates with job interview training and knowledge sessions. In addition, the candidates and Conclusion employees will take part in training on intercultural communication on the work floor, to be given by UAF.
Language and IT
To improve the Dutch language skills of the refugees, the training and work programme will start with a tailored language programme organized by the Student Affairs office at Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences. This will be followed by the Make IT Work programme, an intensive retraining programme based on Conclusion case histories. The candidates will then enter into employment with Conclusion. To ensure that candidates receive the right support and a soft landing, Conclusion will allocate each candidate a buddy on the work floor. Both the buddy and candidate will receive support from the UAF.
Pim van Asch, Sustainability Manager at Conclusion, said: ‘We believe in the power of working together on social issues. We call this “building sustainable ecosystems”. We are tremendously proud to be launching this project together with AUAS and UAF. At Conclusion, we believe that our differences bring us together and make us stronger. We think it is vital to give these people a role in our organization and thus help them integrate into society. We are not choosing the easiest way, but the most sustainable way. We believe that stability is an important part of this and that is precisely why we are offering this group an employment contract right at the start of the programme.’
Marike van der Tol, Business Developer at UAF, explained, ‘As a knowledge partner in the area of combined training and work programmes, our goal is to set up and support these types of programmes successfully so that they become embedded within organizations. This project is a fine example of how education, the business community, and our foundation can strengthen one another. I am convinced that good preparation and proper support are the right way to help refugees secure a sustainable future. The way in which Conclusion invests in this group underlines their acknowledgement of this and demonstrates their commitment to empowering refugees. It enables refugees to contribute to society and Conclusion hire loyal and motivated employees in return. I hope that other organizations feel inspired to follow Conclusion’s example.’
Jopie Nooren, Chair of AUAS’s Executive Board, had this to say: ‘This initiative allows us to offer refugees the opportunity to use their talents and develop them sustainably on the work floor; it is an example of how we can contribute to diversity, digitalization, and sustainability as a knowledge institution. At the same time, we can help meet demand for highly-educated ICT professionals, which we are also investing in at AUAS. The great thing about this cooperation is that we can offer the perfect combination, due to our many years of experience with the Language and Preparatory Programme, the successful set-up of Make IT Work, the expertise and intermediary activities of UAF, and the unique role that Conclusion is willing and able to play as an employer. We look forward to welcoming the first candidates in November.’
