The D&Igest: Diversity & Inclusion at work

57. A Syrian refugee's unreal journey to UK employment and why businesses are missing a trick with Renaisi


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Bahaa faced shocking day-to-day risks to his life while living in Syria. Now, he works in the UK for one of the UK’s largest construction companies. In this episode, we speak with Bahaa and discover his fascinating journey.

We’re also joined by Hannah Brooke, Head of Partnerships at Renaisi - the organisation that supported Bahaa with finding employment through their ‘Transitions’ programme.

We dive deep into Bahaa’s journey of attaining his PhD and his experiences of gaining refugee status after moving to the UK. More many seeking refuge, the immigration process can take one to two years or more. For Bahaa, it took around three months, and

he gives insights into what was different for him.

We learn about Bahaa’s experience of applying for work in the UK. Bahaa was turned down for 100s of roles before receiving support from Renaisi. Hannah shares with us how Renaisi leverage their pipeline of employers who want to employ differently and the benefits that these organisations experience in return from diverse hiring.

In this episode, we cover -

  • The shocking risks that Bahaa faced while living in Syria.
  • Bahaa’s inspiring journey to the UK.
  • The process of gaining refugee status in the UK and how Bahaa’s experience
  • differed from the typical experience.
  • Bahaa’s experience with applying for jobs.
  • How Renaisi supports those seeking sanctuary to find gainful employment.
  • The benefits that diverse hiring has for organisations.
  • How to get involved with Renaisi.

  • LEARN MORE

    Renaisi - https://renaisi.com/transitions/

    Diversely - https://www.diversely.io/

    Diversely on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/diverselyio/

    CONNECT

    Hannah’s email - [email protected]

    Hannah Brooke on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-brooke-20961718/

    Helen McGuire on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/helenmcguireme/

    Diversely on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/diverselyio/

    LISTEN

    Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/0FRssDsAUpx1WCbxDfvFoG

    Apple Podcasts -

    https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-d-igest-a-diversely-podcast/id1607041648

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    The D&Igest: Diversity & Inclusion at workBy Helen McGuire