Cooperation with IKEA
Shared values
Since 2019, joining forces with IKEA, we have been striving to create a better society in which refugees feel welcome, can develop and achieve success.
Together with IKEA, we responded to subsequent crises that particularly affected people with migration experience, including refugee experience, from the COVID-19 pandemic, through the humanitarian crisis on the Polish-Belarusian border, to the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. Thanks to our ongoing cooperation, it has been possible to provide support for children and young people as well as housing support for people at risk of homelessness, carry out intervention activities on the border, provide material and food aid, conduct Polish language courses and vocational courses, as well as consultations with our career advisors.
In 2021-2023, we jointly implemented the “Skills Count” project, of which we are extremely proud. It was an internship programme addressed to people with refugee experience who worked for 6 months in various departments in five IKEA stores in Poland, while learning Polish during working hours. The main goal was to improve the professional and linguistic competences of 56 people and to increase their chances of taking up permanent employment at IKEA or other employers. The interns could count on the support of the Foundation, which offered them legal and psychological assistance, consultations with cultural mentors and career advisors throughout the duration of the programme
Goals achieved
- On completion of the two editions of the project, 37 out of 56 people taking part in the internship in Warsaw, Łódź, Gdańsk and Kraków found employment at IKEA Retail sp. z o.o. or another employer in Poland.
- The interns were linguistically prepared thanks to 6-month, in-depth language courses conducted by language teachers. Their Polish is getting better and they are able to use it effectively in their work.
- People with refugee experience had access to specialists supporting them in building a new life in Poland (including psychological consultations to understand and deal with difficult emotions, legal and professional consultations as well as conversations with cultural mentors)
- We have prepared managers and employees to work with people with refugee experience by raising their awareness of the situation of refugees in Poland. This is conducive to social change that consists in building a more friendly, open and diverse team.
- Together, among partners and organizers, we have taken yet another step towards creating an inclusive culture in the workplace and in the local community. Together we supported the adaptation of interns to their full functioning in the company.
- Partnership cooperation of NGOs and business in the implementation of this type of projects makes sense – support for refugees in entering the labour market is comprehensive and gives an opportunity to secure their needs on several levels (including: giving people agency and a chance to increase their financial independence, providing language support and assistance in adapting to the workplace in a new country, as well as including people from minority groups in spaces where they can look for friends).
- Helping people with refugee experience find their way in a new country, e.g. by helping them find stable employment is conducive to eliminating inequalities, increasing sensitivity and broadening horizons. A more just, empathetic and open so
References
“This project was for a purpose!”
“It was a project, but in reality it was a tool/mechanism to introduce change.”
“During the recruitment process, I heard managers say: ‘Why aren’t there only such people at job interviews!’”
“We now have a tangible number of people whom we have supported [as a company] in building a life in Poland.”
Statements of local IKEA coordinators from P&C departments in the “Skills Count” project, collected at the evaluation meeting on 13 September 2023
“My greatest benefit, apart from professional training, was also finding myself again and within myself.”
“I am very happy to be part of this project. It is a really good opportunity to improve my skills in such a good atmosphere. I am amazed by the vision, the attitude, the hospitality, how people and their needs are valued here. Thank you for your help and support; it is priceless.”
“I feel more confident in the Polish language and on the Polish labour market.”
“I feel more confident and I am no longer afraid of the future. I also finally started learning Polish.”
Statements of people with refugee experience who are on an internship at IKEA as part of the second edition of the “Skills Count” project. The answers were collected via an anonymous survey provided by the Ocalenie Foundation in September 2023.
Act with us
Do you work in a company for which diversity and inclusion activities are important? Do you want to contribute as a team to creating equal opportunities for people with refugee experience on the labour market in Poland? If so, we are ready to be your partner!
Let’s talk about how your company can support refugees in building a new life in Poland.
Partnerships team: [email protected]