Sodexo UK & Ireland has become a member of the UK branch of the Tent Partnership for Refugees, joining 70 other major businesses to advance the integration of refugees into the UK labour market.
In recent years, the UK has welcomed more than 500,000 refugees from countries including Afghanistan, Hong Kong, Syria and, most recently, Ukraine – yet many have been unable to find formal employment.
While they have the legal right to work, refugees are over 20 per cent less likely to be employed than the UK population, with this gap widening to 30 per cent for refugee women, according to the UK government.
At the same time, the UK is experiencing labour shortages, with almost one million job vacancies, across key industries such as hospitality, food service and others including manufacturing & healthcare.
With more and more refugees displaced around the world, businesses have a critical role to play in helping refugees integrate economically in their new communities.
Tent was launched in 2016 by Hamdi Ulukaya, the CEO and founder of Chobani – a multibillion dollar food company in the U.S. – to mobilize global businesses to fill this gap.
Today, Tent is a network of over 400 major companies committed to helping hundreds of thousands of refugees access local labor markets find employment by helping them become job-ready.
Tent UK offers companies participating in its programme a host of services free of charge including: resources and trainings for HR teams; the sharing of best practices and ideas distilled from Tent’s global network of companies across a dozen countries who are hiring and integrating refugees into their workforces, as well as tailored programmes and insights to the UK market context.
Joining the Tent UK coalition builds on the successful global relationship Sodexo has had with Tent globally since 2019, focused on improving the lives of refugees buy helping them to enter the workforce through, hiring, training and mentoring programmes.
Sodexo is committed to being an inclusive employer.
The group's Social Impact Pledge serves as a platform for promoting social mobility across the business and support for disadvantaged groups in finding employment opportunities.
At a moment when UK employers face significant labour shortages, yet refugees across the country struggle to find decent employment, we see an extraordinary opportunity for our work. The coalition of companies that has come together to launch Tent UK understands that we need to act at scale to help hundreds of thousands of refugees in the UK secure jobs, rebuild their lives, and integrate into their new communities.
Raj Jones, head of DEI at Sodexo UK & Ireland, says: “Since the beginning, when Pierre Bellon founded Sodexo in 1966, creating social value through opportunities for people, suppliers and the communities we serve is central to how we do business.
"As a purpose-led business, we are committed to promoting equitable opportunities, valuing diversity, and creating an inclusive working environment for all.
We are delighted to be a part of this coalition and look forward to doing all we can to support Tent UK in its efforts and to continue to welcome refugees into our workforce.”
Jen Stobart, UK Director at Tenty, says: “Tent is immensely proud to have brought together 70 leading businesses resolved to connect refugees to meaningful employment.
Refugees face numerous barriers to formal employment, such as lower language proficiency, transportation issues, lack of childcare options, as well as a lack of social and professional networks.
These hurdles require particular attention from businesses, who – by making small upfront investments and tailoring their hiring practices – can level the playing field and give a fair chance to the many refugees still looking for a job in the UK.”
Gideon Maltz, Tent CEO, adds: “At a moment when UK employers face significant labour shortages, yet refugees across the country struggle to find decent employment, we see an extraordinary opportunity for our work.
The coalition of companies that has come together to launch Tent UK understands that we need to act at scale to help hundreds of thousands of refugees in the UK secure jobs, rebuild their lives, and integrate into their new communities.
Tent is uniquely placed and ready to help companies develop ambitious programmes to include refugees.”
