LHH, as Part of the Adecco Group, Extends Efforts to Integrate Refugees in Workforce
On World Refugee Day, LHH and Adecco Group companies build on a decade of experience working with people displaced by conflict and urges companies to join its Ukraine jobs initiative as the number of refugees outside the country approaches 5 million.
Zürich, Switzerland
The Adecco Group further develops jobs portal for people displaced by conflict in Ukraine, to include world-class training, up-skilling and re-skilling opportunities to close the gap between refugees’ skills and those in most demand by employers.
More than 1,650 companies from across the world have now signed-up to the free-to-post online job matching platform https://www.adeccojobsforukraine.com, developed and launched by LHH parent company, the Adecco Group, to aid people displaced by the conflict in Ukraine, and have hired more than 2,500 people. More than 5,500 refugees from Ukraine have registered on the platform.
Alain Dehaze, Chief Executive Officer of the Adecco Group said: “We work hard every day to deliver on our purpose of making the future work for everyone and have been striving to support refugees from many countries - including Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq - and integrate them into the workforce for more than a decade. We are now taking our support to the next level, enabling refugees from Ukraine to bridge skills gaps with practical training, and thereby enhancing their ability to secure jobs. I encourage companies to get involved so together we can make a meaningful impact in the lives of many people. I would also like to extend my deep appreciation to all the companies who have already joined this initiative and opened their doors to refugees.”
To bridge the gap between the current skills the refugees have, and the skills demanded by hiring companies, the Adecco Group has mobilized experts on this training topic, including through the Group's businesses General Assembly, Adecco Training and LHH. In addition, a mix of online face-to-face and self-paced in languages, digital skills, business and soft skills are offered through the Adecco Academy. These include free-to-access, certified packages and courses from Accenture's Skills to Succeed Academy, Microsoft IT-Fitness Online Academy, Alfia Languages and Skillsoft. To date, 1,400 refugees have completed a training.
Gaëlle de la Fosse, President of LHH said: “Empowering people with the knowledge and resources they need to navigate today’s career landscape is at the core of LHH’s work, so being able to offer this support to refugees is particularly important to us. By connecting refugees to new opportunities, we hope to do our part in helping them realise their potential in host countries. They and their families really want the chance to contribute and we will do all we can to help facilitate their integration into the workforce.”
Bruce Roch, Global Head of Adecco Inclusion, said: “Refugees are looking for a peaceful future in their new host communities and we can help them in their professional integration, and upskill/reskill them when needed, which will help them make the most of their new lives. In 2021 alone, 15,000 refugees were part of our associate workforce. With current skills shortages and need for resilience in organizations, refugees can contribute their talent and help build great professional opportunities for themselves, as well as contributing to corporate citizenship for all organizations.”
The Adecco Group and its companies continue to support displaced people from previous and ongoing crises - including Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan - to enter the labour market, particularly in the U.K., Germany, France, Italy and Greece.
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About LHH
LHH is an integrated talent solutions provider helping people, teams, and organizations across the globe prepare for what's next. Our end-to-end HR solutions future-proof organizations and careers all over the world. Through Advisory, Career Transition & Mobility, Insights, Learning & Development and Recruitment Solutions, we enable transformation, and our job is never done because there’s always another tomorrow to prepare for.
We make a difference to everyone we work with, and we do it with local expertise, backed by global infrastructure and industry-leading technology. LHH’s over 8,000 colleagues and coaches span over 60 countries worldwide, working with more than 15,000 organizations, a majority of Fortune Global 500, and nearly 500,000 candidates each year. Together we address needs across the entire talent journey, helping organizations build their capabilities and individuals build brighter futures. There is a world of opportunity out there. Let’s get to work.
LHH is a global business unit of the Adecco Group, the world’s leading talent advisory and solutions company, headquartered in Zurich Switzerland.
Editor's Note
Developing and sharing good practice
LHH and the Adecco Group can look back on a long track-record of integrating refugees in the labour market both by developing strategic good practice and by providing individual refugees with the necessary skills and work opportunities to thrive. For more information on how the company is involved in support for refugees, consult the Group’s support measures and the Group’s White Paper on the Labour Market Integration of Refugees.
Sharing legal expertise in integrating refugees into the workforce
In order to help employers engage refugees, the Adecco Group has worked with employment law experts Ius Laboris* to develop practical fact sheets for employers in 40 countries. The information provided on https://iuslaboris.com/serie/ukraine-in-crisis/ explains how employers can employ refugees quickly, while conforming to the immigration law of the respective countries. Ius Laboris firms are leading law firms in employment, immigration and pensions law. They help international employers navigate the world of work successfully.
Institutional co-operation and expert advice
LHH, via the Adecco Group, campaigns for more inclusive pathways to employment worldwide. To this end. we collaborate with various recognised organisations such as the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the European Network Against Racism’s Equal@Work Platform to continuously strengthen our approach, share best practices, and to amplify our impact for the benefit of the wider society.
The Adecco Group is also upholding its cooperation with other key institutions about integrating refugees into the workforce, including the World Employment Confederation and its national affiliates across Europe, the UNHCR and UNI Global Union, a global trade union federation that represents 20 million skilled and service workers in 150 countries around the world.
In the context of the current crisis, and as many governments are looking for new ways to support these new arrivals, the Group stands at the disposal of the local authorities, inviting them to harness our knowledge and expertise to help create pathways to employment. Finding employment is crucial for helping people to develop a sense of economic independence and certainty, and if desired, establish themselves in new communities.