Earlier this week, the Woolworths Group announced that it is tapping people with refugee backgrounds to bring their skills into the business through a new technology-led initiative. Launched in partnership with award-winning diversity and inclusion firm Community Corporate, the ‘Refugee Digital and Technology Cadetship Program’ will bring a group of eight Iraqi and Syrian refugees through a 12-week paid program. During the program, the eight cadets will be paired with internal mentors
ntors and work within Woolworths Group’s technology, Woolies X technology, or WiQ data analytics teams. By the end of the course, the participants will be qualified for future job prospects within the business. A total of 30 refugees are expected to undergo the cadetship program over the next 18 months.
According to Woolworths’ general manager of inclusion Catherine Hunter, the program aims to help refugees with international qualifications enter the Australian workforce.
“Too many refugees struggle to find work, and aren’t recognised for the skills they bring with them to Australia,” Hunter told Inside Retail.
“Data tells us only 25 per cent of refugees find employment within their first two years in Australia. This program [aims to] remove barriers to job opportunities, allowing candidates to gain local experience and showcase their potential.”
Many international qualifications aren’t recognised in Australia, meaning workers that come from overseas are often unable to apply for, or aren’t recognised for, roles they are fully capable of filling.
Community Corporate CEO Carmen Garcia said that, because of this, it was time businesses trial alternative pathways for employment.
“We believe there is an abundance of refugee talent out there,” Garcia said.
“Woolworths Group is leading the charge to leverage the skills, experiences and passion refugees bring to their new home country to solve our nation’s skills shortages.”
A Win for everyone
This isn’t the first refugee employment program Woolworths has embarked on. In 2017, the business first began working with Community Corporate to support refugees in response to the humanitarian crisis in Syria.
Since then, the business has placed 200 refugees from 23 different backgrounds into roles across its business.
“The feedback we continue to receive is that our refugee team members are fantastic contributors and a real asset to their teams, and there is growing demand internally for new recruits through the program,” Taylor said.
“We also know the roles we provide for refugees in our stores are not only a job, but are an opportunity to establish community connections, be part of a team, and learn more about Australian workplaces.”
According to Taylor, the business’ Australian employees are also benefiting from the program, as they build their coaching skills and gain different perspectives of the world from the refugee community.
Culture is about more than language
Such programs also open Woolworths up to an otherwise untapped talent pool: one which can be incredibly useful in a tight talent market.
According to Mark Saba, founder and CEO of translation and multicultural communications agency Lexigo, the refugee employment programs are a win-win.
“It’s great to see Woolworths finding inclusive ways to address skills shortages by providing opportunities for refugees,” Saba told Inside Retail.
“The program reflects the same communities that Woolies serves, and proves that as an organisation, Woolies is really thinking about its local communities and taking its corporate responsibilities seriously.”
Saba added that diversity of employment will often lead to diversity of thought, which can foster innovation and create new opportunities.
And, for people coming from other countries, and who may be fleeing difficult circumstances, employment can be a great way to showcase Australia’s culture.
“We consistently see that most people want to fit in and feel that they belong to the culture of the country they live in,” Saba explained.
“This is bigger than understanding languages, it’s about the experiences and cultural identity that make up a whole person. Customers and staff all bring a range of cultural experiences with them, and it’s critical that retailers understand and acknowledge these experiences.
“In doing so, they’ll not only help their new employees integrate, but become more competitive as a business.”