Employment and Training of Refugees in Companies: The Importance of Integration Support Programmes

Even such obstacles as a lack of language skills are not deterring these companies. Indeed, the majority of companies which already employ refugees are actually planning to take on further refugees in 2017. Of course, companies cannot master the task of integration alone – but nor do they need to. In addition to a large number of established services offering enterprises information and assistance, such as the employer service of the federal and local employment agencies, a wide range of programmes aimed specifically at promoting the integration of refugees in companies have been opened or newly created. Research has shown, however, that firms are not yet taking advantage of many of the services on offer, partly because they are not widely known. Businesses only tend to ask what help is available when they are already employing refugees. More information about the programmes and their benefits and more precise targeting of specific needs might thus motivate more companies – including those who have not yet employed such workers – to take on refugees in the future.