Refujobs: matching refugees' profiles to the labour market

Facilitating and guaranteeing access to training offers, as well as jobs and self-employment opportunities.
Jobs & Livelihoods

Refujobs: matching refugees' profiles to the labour market

Facilitating and guaranteeing access to training offers, as well as jobs and self-employment opportunities.

Contact details

Submitted by: Paula Moura - Advisor, Cabinet of the Secretary of State for Integration and Migration, Portugal

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://refujob.pt/

http://www.acm.gov.pt/-/programa-de-empreendedorismo-imigrante-pe-1

 

Introduction to the project 

Country

Portugal

Duration

May 2018-Ongoing

Description

The RefuJobs Platform aims to facilitate and guarantee access to training offers, as well as jobs and self-employment opportunities by matching refugees’ profiles with the needs of the market.

Project aims 

The goal of the RefuJobs Project is the inclusion of refugee people in the labour market.

The project integrates two axes:

  1. Identification of training and traineeship opportunities available in portuguese entities and companies, in order to optimize the professional skills of refugees;
  2. Identification of job opportunities available, in order to optimize the professional skills of refugees, as well as the support in the creation of self-employment.

Resources used 

Elements that facilitated the implementation of the project include the Portuguese experience of the High Commission for Migration regarding the last 20 years of integration of immigrants in Portugal, namely its cabinet for the support of employment and also the Entrepreneurship Program for Migrants which has already been recognized as a good practice by UN, in October 2018, and refered in the “Policy Guide on Entrepreneurship for Migrants and Refugees”.

Partners

  • Private companies
  • Tourism of Portugal

Challenges and how they were overcome

Challenges:

  • Mobilise enterprises interested to be part and match with low profiles of a big percentage of the refugees who have low qualifications and, sometimes, no experience at all.

How they were overcome:

  • Involve entities and companies that are part of the Portuguese Chart for Diversity;
  • Public sessions to inform about the Refujobs;
  • Refujobs’ site.

Results of the Good Practice 

  • Integration of refugees in labour market, in some of the most important companies in Portugal (Grupo Jerónimo Martins, Portugália, Teleperformance);
  • Certified training in the tourism sector, with professional internships included;
  • Entrepreneurship program for refugees.

How the project meets the GCR Objectives

Objective 2: Enhance refugee self-reliance

Objective 3: Expand access to third-country solutions

Next steps 

The project is ongoing.