Refugees, migrants and employment in the Midlands

Leicestershire Branch CIPD 24 February 2011

Ken Lowles

Data based on research by the Applied Social Studies Dept at Birmingham University 2010

and Warwick University Institute of Employment

Research 2007

How Educated / Skilled Are They?

• Mainly 25-35, single, male• Increasing number of women• 35% college education• 25% university• 25% no education• 51% employed in country of origin

29% skilled 21% managerial 9% technical 6% professional20% never employed

What Can They Do?

• 36% wholesale / retail trade / motor vehicle repair

• 11% manufacturing• 7% transport and communication• 6% business activities• 6% construction• 5% health• 4% hotel / catering• 3% education• 2% finance

Profile of Refugees from Wardlow Road Refugee Centre

• 22 out of 32 previously employed• Six highly skilled or semi-professionals – for

example midwife, radiographer, social worker, veterinary nurse.

• 3 skilled workers – mechanics (2), electrician.• 3 semi-skilled – bulldozer driver, welder,

aluminium worker.• 2 who worked on the family farm.• 2 who worked in the family shop.• 1 who managed a sizeable factory.• 6 employed in 2007, one in a skilled job.

Why are they unemployed?• Only 14% employed in 2003.• 18% emmployed in 2007.• All in low skilled work.• Barriers to employment.

Language - 66% can speak / write English UK qualifications UK work experience Understanding UK system Employers beliefs and attitudes Lack of resources in JCP to link refugees to appropriate

employment or learning. Re-qualification impossible under Job Seekers

Allowance. 16 hrs per week or more lose Job Seekers Allowance.

What do employers think about refugees and migrant workers?

• Don’t know difference between categories

• Unsure about their legal position. Worried about:~

language, cultural barriersWhat workforce will thinkWhat customers will thinkBurden of bureaucracy• Most suitable for unskilled

& hidden work

About Economic Migrants• About 122,000 non-UK

nationals in East Midlands 2006 *

• Majority : from Indian sub-continent

• Worker Reg Scheme: 48,000, and majority are Polish. Seasonal Agricultural Work Programme

• Of Accession country migrants 20% aim to stay; 80% to earn money then go home, and set up business

* Labour Force Survey

How Skilled Are They

• 28.8% respondents had a degree• 14.5% a Masters• But 32% did not respond• Degree rate likely to be between 12

and 24% (slightly higher than the Midlands average)Green et al. (2007) study covering West Midlands web at Warwick.

For Alan, Syd, Basherat, Meena, Zelie

What do migrant workers do?

• 87% employed at the time of this survey (2009)

• 3% unemployed• 53% employed prior

to UK• 30% had been

students• EU migrants more

attractive than others

Daily Mail 1st June 2009

Conclusions & Suggestions

• Migrant labour an important part of region’s workforce.

• IPPR * argues that skilled migrants key to competitiveness and economic recovery.

• Tendency to under-employ except in health.• Refugees tend to be overlooked.• Look at your company’s application process.• Offer work trials / internships• Engage with the organisations developing work

experience and employment initiatives. *Institute for Public Policy Research

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My daughter and grand daughter who are not Bristish enough