Employability for Overseas Nationals
Project Report January-March 2025
Overall project aim: We provide an intensive, wrap around model of support across the region with a focus on registering 590 clients to provide general employment support to a range of overseas nationals, including Ukrainians, Hong Kongers and highly skilled workers. We also work with asylum seekers before a decision is made on their asylum claim to assist them with the transition if they are granted leave to remain in the UK.
Overview
EON – EELGA SMP started in November 2023 to meet the needs of clients who could not access the Refugee Employment Programme (REP) | Get Set UK and STEP Ukraine | World Jewish Relief following the closure of Wellbeing and Work for Refugee Integration – EELGA SMP. At that time, EON was funded through central government funds held by the SMP and International Recruitment East. It has since been enabled to continue thanks to funding from 23 local authorities in the East of England.
| Q4 – January–March 2025 | |||||||||||||||
| County | Cambridge-shire | Hertford- shire |
Norfolk |
Suffolk
|
Essex | Bedford- shire |
Total for region | ||||||||
| Number of new clients registered | BNO | 0 | BNO | 0 | BNO | 0 | BNO | 0 | BNO | 0 | BNO | 0 | BNO | 0 | |
| Ukraine | 10 | Ukraine | 7 | Ukraine | 3 | Ukraine | 5 | Ukraine | 6 | Ukraine | 0 | Ukraine | 31 | ||
| Others | 20 | Others | 11 | Others | 3 | Others | 16 | Others | 13 | Others | 9 | Others | 72 | ||
| Total | 103 | ||||||||||||||
| Number of clients invited for job interview | BNO | 3 | BNO | 0 | BNO | 1 | BNO | 0 | BNO | 1 | BNO | 0 | BNO | 5 | |
| Ukraine | 3 | Ukraine | 0 | Ukraine | 1 | Ukraine | 8 | Ukraine | 7 | Ukraine | 0 | Ukraine | 19 | ||
| Others | 3 | Others | 3 | Others | 0 | Others | 2 | Others | 2 | Others | 0 | Others | 10 | ||
| Total | 44 | ||||||||||||||
| Number of clients offered jobs | BNO | 0 | BNO | 0 | BNO | 1 | BNO | 0 | BNO | 0 | BNO | 0 | BNO | 1 | |
| Ukraine | 0 | Ukraine | 0 | Ukraine | 0 | Ukraine | 5 | Ukraine | 1 | Ukraine | 0 | Ukraine | 6 | ||
| Others | 1 | Others | 1 | Others | 0 | Others | 0 | Others | 1 | Others | 0 | Others | 3 | ||
| Total | 10 | ||||||||||||||
| Asylum seeker (AS) clients | 6 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 6 | AS clients | ||||||||
| Total | 24 | ||||||||||||||
- Employment advisers’ activities delivered.
The employment advisers (EAs) work hard to create/edit CVs, assist with applications, offer a range of advice and refer clients to various external organisations. These external referrals are for services including ESOL, apprenticeships, college courses and other training. In addition to general employment advice, they also register clients for the integration courses offered under EON. They continue to build up links with the various communities, voluntary and local authority sectors to ensure a smooth flow of referrals. This includes visiting residents in the asylum contingency hotels and dispersed asylum seeker accommodation. Referrals to the ENIC qualification equivalence service remains a core service, with 10 certificates of equivalence requested in the quarter (110 in total over the life of the project).
- Successes, achievements and milestones delivered during this reporting period.
Although all of the employment advisers continued to work with clients during the quarter, by March those who were not continuing into the new financial year due to funding were focused on closing clients in Bedford, Central Bedfordshire, Peterborough and Hertfordshire and ending their support well.
Across the region we saw 10 people offered jobs from the 44 invited for interviews, one of the best quarterly results achieved.
- Challenges experienced.
Overall ESOL attendance remains an issue with some people not attending for a variety of reasons including limited IT skills and use of a smartphone rather than access to a device with a larger screen, which make accessing online classes a challenge. However, we know that the courses EON offers are a complement to mainstream ESOL. Clients find it a challenge to access mainstream ESOL and are likely to be added to waiting lists for the next academic year rather than starting classes from January onwards.
Employment advisers are seeing a high level of competition for jobs and are thus having to deal with client’s disappointment and frustration at not being successful.
- Work with asylum seekers.
Employment advisers have witnessed the low mental wellbeing of asylum-seeking clients when they are not eligible to join mainstream courses or look for work. When they do not get a decision on their asylum claim, this further worsens their mental wellbeing over time. Employment advisers are encouraging volunteering and other purposeful activity where appropriate.
- High skills clients.
In January a “Let’s Employ Overseas’ Nationals” webinar was delivered for DWP employees and employers actively recruiting. 16 attended, which provided more employer connections including construction, food and care industry. CVs have been sent to link up further interest of clients and roles.
GP surgeries in Hertfordshire are keen to support other doctors from overseas requiring mentoring, support and guidance. Once public health doctor has completed a week’s observation at a local GP surgery and receiving ongoing support in the form of mentoring, 2 others have received a placement at other surgeries, 1 has also been offered a paid role.
Support for clients is ongoing and we have financially assisted another 4 medical clients with OET, NMC and GMC registrations.
A session on EON best practice was delivered to Refugee Action and a further joint delivery of the ‘Let’s Employ Overseas Nationals’ webinar took place in collaboration with Refugee Action.
EON in partnership with Anglian Ruskin University (ARU) supported the implementation of ongoing sessions for medics returning to practice. The first in the series is a day of medical speakers, doctors, GMC etc. at ARU. This will develop into other areas of support and guidance for medical clients. Other employability programmes for clients are being developed in Essex and Cambridge alongside ARU for a range of sectors.
In March MENTA continue to deliver workshops and support to entrepreneurs. 1 to 1 sessions were also completed with those still receiving active support but, since this element of the programme is closing due to a reduction in funding, most of the work related to closing the clients. A total of 76 clients have fully completed the entire programme at the end of March 2025 with 27 clients starting businesses over the past financial year. Further details of the business startups will be provided in the final report.
In total, 32 evaluation questionnaires were completed and feedback was very positive. Formal evaluation scores are very high and a full and final evaluation report will be provided soon.
During the quarter 3 driving theory (41 learners) and 2 housing rights (21 learners) courses took place. Driving theory remains extremely popular with high attendance in all groups. Learners on the housing course reported feeling more confident at communicating with housing authorities and significantly improved their knowledge and understanding of the UK housing system. In addition, one course on the English school system took place with 17 learners developing supportive peer relationships accompanied by a growing confidence in using online resources to gain further insights.
Challenges such as low attendance were addressed by sharing materials in the class WhatsApp group, peer support and lots of patience. Many learners are accessing the materials by phone, which is especially difficult for videos used in the learning.
| Courses | Beds | Cambridgeshire | Essex | Herts | Norfolk | Suffolk |
| IELTS | 4 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 11 |
| Driving Theory | 16 | 11
(7 F2F, 4 Online) |
2 | 9 | 3 | 4 |
| How to use the NHS | 10 | 7
(5 F2F, 2 Online) |
2 | 6
(5 F2F, 1 Online) |
2 | 0 |
| Housing: Rights & Responsibility | 0 | 13
(12 F2F, 1 Online) |
0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Know your employment rights | 0 | 4
(All F2F) |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Understanding UK School System | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Teachers received very positive feedback from learners and themselves also benefitted from the learning gained from teaching the wide range of overseas nationals on the courses.
5 IELTS (2 started with 27 learners) and one OET preparation classes were delivered in the quarter with a wide range of activities to prepare learners for their exams. All classes proceeded well with some absence due to Ramadan and other complicating factors.
The employment advisers have worked very hard over the past year with 741 (against a target of 590) clients across the region of whom over 38% (284) are asylum seekers. Work with this target group has expanded rapidly but places extra demands on the EAs such as managing expectations and emotions when plans do not come to fruition as expected. Demand from other target groups remains strong, meaning that EAs are under greater pressure than before to meet the needs of all their clients.
Both STEP Ukraine/Ahead and REP have closed to new referrals leaving a gap in terms of employability provision for overseas nationals. This gap may be filled later in the year with Connect To Work contracts. However, this new scheme will only cover some of EON’s current target clients. Please refer to the final report for more information on Connect To Work.
EON will continue in the 2025/6 financial year only in the following areas due to funding constraints:
- Suffolk
- Essex (including Southend)
- Luton
- Cambridge City and East Cambridgeshire
- East Hertfordshire.