Bridge to employment - Igor's story

Igor arrived in the UK in May 2022, leaving behind the turmoil of his beloved Ukraine. A successful lawyer with his own firm, Igor had built a reputation representing prominent figures in the high levels of government. Yet, the ravages of war forced Igor, his wife, and their triplets to seek refuge in a quiet corner of Somerset, far from the chaos of their homeland.

A quiet village in Somerset, became an unlikely sanctuary for Igor’s family. However, despite the solace of their new surroundings, Igor faced a daunting challenge: a language barrier that separated him from the community he now called home. Determined to overcome this obstacle, Igor sought out a front-facing job to immerse himself in the English language and improve his communication skills.

Fortunately, Igor found employment as the personal driver and handyman for another prominent figure, this time a celebrity of the British scene. While chauffeuring around, Igor discovered a sense of tranquillity in working with his hands—a therapeutic respite from the turmoil he had left behind.

Yet, Igor's aspirations extended beyond his role as a driver and handyman. Eager to rebuild his career as a lawyer in the UK, he sought opportunities to enhance his communication skills and expand his horizons. It was then that Igor stumbled upon the Bridge to Employment programme, a beacon of hope offering him a path forward.

Bridge to Employment is a pre-employment training programme funded by Comic Relief with placement opportunities in hotels in Bristol and Bath. After the placement, the candidates will have the opportunity to get job interviews and when in work, they will have 6 months of support to enhance their induction and progression.

During the training, attendees covered all aspects of work life in the UK, specifically focusing on the hospitality sector, including H&S, minimum wage and income tax, and legal rights and responsibilities in the workplace, as well as how to prepare a CV when seeking employment in the UK. Igor embraced every aspect of the course and enjoyed very much the opportunity to further his learning journey in the UK. He complemented the course kindly and attentively, with many pertinent and searching questions, allowing him and his fellow learners to get as much as possible from the resources available throughout the course and further their understanding of working in the UK hospitality sector. - Robert Pope, tutor, ACH.

Following discussions during the pandemic with ACH about the work they do with refugee and migrant communities, we at Visit West felt compelled to look at what we could do to connect people who have fled their homes and homelands with opportunities for placements within one of the many visitor economy businesses we work with in the west of England.  Whether to support people regain confidence, build language skills or continue a career within the hospitality industry, this was a small opportunity to help make a difference.  After discussing with hoteliers in the region, and moving presentations from Julia and David, we found our first group of employers to work on placements with ACH.  This also helped them to gain additional support for existing their existing refugee and migrant workforce, especially in understanding cultural and practical differences in work the UK compared to Ukraine.  We hope that this pilot programme with hoteliers in the region, has a positive impact on those who have experienced upheaval that is beyond the comprehension of most people. - Kathryn Davis, Managing Director, Visit West.