Adapting recruitment to diversify the workforce
Esteem Training Ltd and Scottish Refugee Council partnership increasing diversity in apprenticeship training.
Breaking down barriers to unlock skills in the refugee community is at the heart of a partnership between Esteem Training Ltd and the Scottish Refugee Council (SRC).
Esteem develop and deliver business improvement, leadership and management and Modern Apprenticeship training to the construction industry and wanted to widen the talent pool it was recruiting from.
Discussions with the SRC at a Skills Development Scotland (SDS) provider event on the wealth of skills and experience in the refugee population, led to a joint project addressing recruitment.
Ian Grigg, Director of Esteem Training, said: “Although I was aware there were people with the skills, I hadn't fully appreciated the barriers within the process to get into employment.
“We knew we had to do more to provide an equal opportunity by ensuring an equity of chance to apply.”
Together, the SRC and Esteem designed an approach to support refugees to apply for an available Trainee Assessor role to support Modern Apprentices.
The Glasgow-based firm made changes to their recruitment process to increase accessibility for refugee applicants.
It also worked closely with a group of refugees who were identified by the SRC as having the essential experience to apply, but needed support to develop individual skills and increase their understanding of the recruitment process and the culture. The group had meetings with Ian, as well as an apprenticeship assessor, to find out more about the role, skills required and more about Esteem itself.
A three -stage recruitment process then took place, designed with the SRC to maximise understanding and engagement.
Ian added: “After feedback from the SRC, one of the small changes we made was switching the first interview from phone to Teams, which supported a clearer and more productive discussion. It may seem a small tweak, but it made a big difference to those we were interviewing and their confidence and ability to take full advantage of the process.
“Handling the recruitment process this way provided a better opportunity for the applicants to highlight their relevant experience and suitability for the role.”
The successful candidate, who now has indefinite right to remain in the UK, has since progressed within the company and continues to share their substantial experience to add value to the business.
Esteem Training benefitted further by employing another refugee into a newly created role supporting the work of its delivery team. The individual is now a fully qualified assessor who also delivers on apprenticeship programmes.
Anita Yu, Employability Development Officer at the SRC, said: “Esteem invested time into the process, and were keen to learn about how to improve their recruitment processes to ensure that refugee applicants could fairly compete for the positions.
“We really appreciate the flexibility and patience from Esteem. It gave refugees an opportunity to start a career in UK which is relevant to their experience, knowledge and qualifications, as well as continued recognition and development opportunities for them to further progress in their roles.
“As Esteem deliver Modern Apprenticeships to anything from sixty to eighty employers a year, working with them has also brought us into contact with a number of other businesses keen to replicate their success in offering opportunities to refugees.”