Culturally Responsive Designed Programmes

Culturally Responsive Designed Programmes

Interview Etiquette in native language

#ThinkBig #Getintowork

ACH training manager, Suad Abdullahi, and training co-ordinator, Mohamoud Matan, hold an Interview Etiquette workshop at local Job Centre in Easton and Eagle House on a regular basis. 

This week, I joined them. Not only was I taken by the importance of such sessions I was inspired by the dreams and aspirations of the learners who were seeking jobs.

We asked each individual what their dream job is. Not a job for tomorrow, next week or next month, but a job that would make them happy. A job that they dream about. ‘Think big’, we told them.

Here were their responses:   

• ·         Accountant
• ·         Teacher
• ·         Doctor
• ·         Own a barbers
• ·         Architect
• ·         Own a business in retail
• ·         Police officer
• ·         IT engineer

All these dream jobs are perfectly attainable to these individuals. There was one person who had been an electrician in Somalia for 20 years, another who had been a barber in Eritrea for three years, and another who had cared for the elderly for 5 years. But because of certain barriers including language and employability skills, many only ever keep these jobs as dreams. 

We seek to make these dreams attainable by giving them the progression they need. Here is how we do it...

What makes this workshop different?

Our tenants and learners are part of the client base that organisations and providers, such as the Job Centre and DWP, often find hard to engage with because of cultural, language and social barriers.

We seek to change the way the mainstream interact with this demographic by providing services that provide a solution to this problem. Our services have been developed from firsthand experience and knowledge from our own staff, 87% of which are first or second generation refugees. Further to this, between our two offices in Bristol and Birmingham, there are over 15 languages spoken by our staff. Through their personal insight and knowledge our services become more informed and better run which allow us to be able to respond quicker to the needs of our learners. 

This first hand, lived experience trickles through all parts of our organisation. This trickle-down effect combined with high demand is what has produced the formation of our culturally responsive designed Interview Etiquette workshop. We aim to break down the barriers that clients face by delivering services that reflect their needs and enable them to progress.

This workshop is delivered bilingually, using English and community languages, such as Somali and Arabic, to really engage with the learners. The learners are referred to us by the jobcentre and the workshop happens onsite. In an average workshop there are about 20-25 people attending.

Journey to employment:

We explain to the learners that these are the essential steps to employment.

English:

“Language is the biggest barrier. Without it you are unable to communicate. It causes frustration and depression and isolation. It stops people integrating.”  Abdi 

Poor English causes barriers. We believe that learning English is essential to improve people’s ability to get into work and also their ability to have better outcomes and more life satisfaction.

“Not knowing the language and being from somewhere else often makes us isolated and just become a title, a ‘refugee’. They don’t know our background. We are put down. Lack of communication causes isolation and makes people become internally frustrated. It affects mental wellbeing. We cannot develop ourselves and have no direction. Learning English allows us to break this cycle. Knowing the language opens your eyes and opens doors to jobs, college, community, everywhere!“ Abdi 

Being able to communicate in English is essential not only for mental wellbeing but imperative in searching for a job and being able to sustain a job. Employers want people who can communicate for themselves in English.

IT Skills:

IT Skills are absolutely essential in the modern work climate. 90% of jobs are advertised online. There is a huge need to be IT literate, to have an email, to be able to job search and to be able to apply for jobs online. 

Read more about our IT courses here.

Employment Skills:

Suad and Mohamoud giving an example of an interview role play

Gaining employment skills such as interview skills and knowing about accustomed work ethic in the UK provides a firm base to not only find a job but keep a job longer as well as get a better job.

Volunteering is a key topic that is stressed within these workshops. Many learners are unaware of how important volunteering is. Many of our tenants and learners have a lot of experience and knowledge but this cannot be evidenced on a CV without prior work experience, especially in the UK. Volunteering allows people to gain confidence and experience and also demonstrates to prospective employers commitment and determination.

At ACH we have a pool of tenants and learners who have gained various qualifications through our ACH Himilo Training centre and are actively looking for work. We are keen to partner with more organisations who are interested in recruiting our tenants and learners, either on a volunteer basis or as a paid job. If you or your organisation is keen to find out more information about what we can offer please get in touch at info@ashleyhousing.com

Our Himilo Training centre has been set up to cater for this journey into employment and to ensure these individuals move on with their lives. We provide accredited NOCN training qualifications of various levels in a range of subjects including English, Employability, IT, Health and Social Care, and Pre-Tenancy. This new Interview Etiquette workshop at the Job Centre is a natural progression into offering these opportunities to even more people.