Adecco Group to redouble existing efforts to integrate more refugees in the labour market as crisis in Afghanistan unfolds

 

Currently tens of thousands are fleeing the life-threatening crisis in Afghanistan. With a strong purpose towards making the future work for everyone and as one of the world’s largest employers, at The Adecco Group we are convinced we can play a role in supporting them as they seek to integrate in their new host communities and start rebuilding their lives and livelihoods. We 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.

 

The distressing scenes from Kabul Airport in Afghanistan are highlighting the desperate plight of refugees attempting to flee their homeland in pursuit of a life in safety, providing a future free of danger and persecution.

 

Alain Dehaze, Chief Executive Officer of The Adecco Group, the world's leading talent solutions and advisory company, said:

 

“This is a dreadful wake-up call for the need for a coordinated response to the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. It should also serve as strong reminder of the broader refugee crisis that is unfolding on a continuous basis in many other countries across the world. Too many people are forced to escape conflict and persecution, and environmental degradation that eliminates their livelihoods.

With our presence in 60 countries, we at The Adecco Group* believe in making the future work for everyone. In delivering on this, we have actively participated in multi-lateral efforts to integrate refugees into the labour market in multiple countries over many years and continue to do so on an ongoing basis as part of our day-to-day business.'

In these challenging times, and hand-in-hand with host governments, we are committed more than ever to doubling down on our efforts to train, upskill, reskill and place refugees into work, across the countries we operate in and services we provide.

We will also strive to build new alliances with other employers and NGOs that work with refugees, in addition to working with governments and public institutions on creating the environment that better enables refugees to access the labour market so they can more quickly begin to contribute to and integrate with the economy and society they have become a part of”.

 

Christophe Catoir, President of The Adecco Global Business Unit, said:

 

“We are working with refugees across the world and every year placing many thousands of them in flexible and permanent employment with clients in many sectors. Going forward, we will build on and replicate what we are already delivering for refugees for example in France with the Adecco Inclusion Network. Last year, more than 1,000 refugees - a significant proportion of whom are Afghans – have successfully found a job, thanks to this Network. Our French inclusion unit `Humando` has a history of assisting refugees and, as part of its mainstream placement business in 2020, placed more than 1,600 refugees in work by Adecco, of which 350 were Afghans (22%).

This time round we are increasing our focus on helping Afghan women - who are disproportionately affected by the situation - to build new lives in a new place, and we are assessing opportunities to start with a coalition in the US. Meeting our people’s, clients` and society expectations through a positive social contribution is at the forefront of our priorities and indeed, many of our clients will also join us to welcome refugees into the labour market".

 

Beyond helping refugees to overcome barriers to enter the workforce, 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.

 

ILO Director-General Guy Ryder commented that, “With the continuing and unfolding crisis in Afghanistan, and other parts of the world, host communities and refugees need our solidarity and action. By opening formal employment and training opportunities for decent work to refugees and those forcibly displaced, the private sector can play a key role in building resilience and recovery from humanitarian crises.”

 

In 2020, The Adecco Group also joined the Tent Partnership for Refugees, a coalition of more than 170 major companies committed to including refugees. Scarlet Cronin, Acting Executive Director at the Tent Partnership for Refugees, said: “The situation in Afghanistan highlights the need for the business community to step up and create opportunities for refugees to integrate economically into their new communities. We are incredibly proud of The Adecco Group's continuing efforts to integrate refugees in the workplace, and hope that more companies will follow their lead."

 

We will continue to challenge ourselves and others, push boundaries, and strive to be at the forefront of delivering better futures for all. And we will not rest until the future works for everyone.

 

Examples of our track record in working with refugees

 

Through its global busines units Adecco, Talent Solutions/LHH and Modis and in the countries where it operates, The Adecco Group is intervening on a number of levels:

• Service lines focused on the labour market integration of underrepresented groups, such as:

• Adecco Inclusion

• Humando in France

• Fundazione Adecco in Italy

• Fundacion Adecco in Spain

 

• As part of our day-to-day business operations in a number of countries, including:

• France

• Germany

• Turkey and Greece in collaboration with UNHCR

• In select countries within LATAM

• United States Through General Assembly in the UK to enhance Career Opportunities for Refugees

 

• Raising awareness, building the understanding and sharing best practices on the labour market integration of refugees:

• “Labour-market integration of resettled refugees in the European Union - Guidelines for Practitioners”

• “The labour market integration of refugees – A focus on Europe”

• “La realidad invisible: la integración pendiente de los migrantes en Argentina”

• “Accueillir les refugies autrement? L’insertion professionnelle au coeur de l’intégration”

 

*The Adecco Group is the world’s leading talent advisory and solutions company. We believe in making the future work for everyone, and enable more than 3.5 million careers annually. We skill, develop, and hire talent in 60 countries, enabling organisations to embrace the future of work. As a Fortune Global 500 company, we lead by example, creating shared value that fuels economies and builds better societies. We have 30,000 employees world-wide.