Example of work placement

Sara (not her real name) has a degree from Eastern Europe. She fled from her home when people from her ethnic group were being persecuted. When she arrived in the UK, she enrolled in English classes then, as soon as her English was good enough, she studied accounts and computers at college.

When she came to Refugee Resource for help with finding office work, she had done quite a lot of courses but had no work experience. We helped her to apply for office jobs but she did not get them because the employers wanted someone with office experience. Sara was interested in doing a work placement to find out more about working in an office. We found her a placement in an office that was walking distance from her home. The employer was happy to let her work in the mornings only, so she could collect her children from school in the afternoon.

After a few weeks the employer offered Sara a paid job as an Administrative Assistant. The job includes training, so that she can carry on improving her skills.