Just ahead of World Refugee Day on Tuesday, more than 40 corporations say they will hire, connect to work or train a total of 250,000 refugees, with 13,680 of them getting jobs directly in those companies.
“Every number is a story of an individual family who left everything, seeking safety, seeking protection and wanting to be able to rebuild as quickly as possible," said
She says 110 million people have been displaced worldwide, with an estimated 12 million from
The hiring push in
In the new round, Amazon leads the pack, vowing to hire at least 5,000 refugees over the next three years in
“This is good for us as a company because the opportunity to add diversity to our workforce will continue to make us a stronger company," said
He said the vast majority of jobs will be hourly roles at fulfillment and storage centers and in transport and delivery.
Amazon announced 27,000 job cuts earlier this year, part of a wave of layoffs after tech companies ramped up hiring during the COVID-19 pandemic. Those layoffs primarily affected salaried office jobs, Agboka said.
Daria Sedihi-Volchenko fled
“I went through the same way as many of our learners ... are going through,” she said. “I had to learn, and I took a commitment on my interview. I said that ‘OK, if we can agree and I can start working for you, I promise to learn Polish and I promise to learn technical skills.’”
More than a year ago, Sedihi-Volchenko woke up to explosions from
“I was terrified. I was so scared for
She began living in basements but left as Russian forces approached
She went to
Companies are hoping refugees can fill staffing needs after the economy bounced back from the pandemic. In
“We’re seeing record levels of demand for our properties across many markets here in
Marriott's jobs will largely be hourly positions like housekeepers, kitchen staff and front desk attendants.
European nations have welcomed Ukrainians, and while Clements applauded opening schools, workplaces and other opportunities to them, she said the same should be offered to others fleeing conflict and crises in places like
Sedihi-Volchenko knows the challenges ahead for refugees, even as some companies offer help with language skills, counseling and training. Job listings can be difficult to decipher, and like her, they may have difficulty securing a stable internet connection or work clothes.
"It’s important to give a refugee just time to learn the language, but the person can start working because if you bring experience with IT systems or finance or project management or any other area, naturally, you understand, it’s not so much about the language. You understand the flow of work," she said.
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