Cumbrian businesses band together to offer helping hand to Ukrainian refugees

Cumbria Tourism is encouraging businesses to employ refugees who have fled Ukraine, to help fill the employment gap that many local companies are currently facing.

As a result of the war in Ukraine, there are currently more than 900 refugees who have had to leave everything behind and start a new life in the county. Cumbria Tourism has now come together with partners including the Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership (CLEP) and The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to help them secure jobs.

The county’s official Destination Management Organisation is working closely with CLEP to offer a matchmaking service for businesses and people seeking employment. That includes handpicking CVs that might be suitable for existing positions in the visitor economy currently being advertised through Cumbria Tourism’s jobs section.

Meanwhile, the DWP is offering a monthly drop-in Ukrainian Community HUB in Kendal. There are usually between 7-15 people that attend, providing a great opportunity to talk about current opportunities and positions available.

Cumbria Tourism is also in regular contact with local training providers who are able to arrange language courses for refugees who need support with learning English.

Meet Genady, a skilled builder from Kramatorsk in the Donetsk Region of Ukraine. The 63-year-old is currently employed at Muncaster castle in the maintenance team. Genady is a great example of how different types of skillsets are needed in tourism industry in Cumbria. Being a skilled builder, Genady slots right into the maintenance team at Muncaster Castle and is highly valued by his current employer.

Peter Frost-Pennington of Muncaster Castle comments: “Genady is one five Ukrainians working in our various businesses, all with varying background and skill sets. They are all hard working and have been very reliable. We are more than happy to be helping a little and having them work with us, I think the benefits are certainly mutual.”

Rachel Tyson, Head of Partnerships & Projects at Cumbria Tourism says: “Cumbria Tourism is delighted to be working alongside partners and businesses to help refugees to find employment in our sector. Coming to a new country having to leave family members and their homes behind must so hard so we hope that by helping refugees to find work it will help them to settle in.

“We know of refugees who are actively seeking employment, but ultimately are struggling to make the connections. Our recent research shows that 73% of businesses believe staff recruitment is a problem, but there are excellent opportunities available and we would urge refugees to get in touch if they require help in finding work. A host of businesses have already signed up to take on Ukrainian refugee employees. We’ve only been hearing positive things from employers.”

Storrs Hall are also another hospitality business which is currently employing Ukrainian refugees. Heather James, Marketing Manager adds: “We are employing a mother and daughter in our housekeeping department. They were originally sponsored to enter the UK by a local family and all of their family is still in Ukraine. Despite all their worries they are very committed to their work and are valued members of our team.

“They are employed on exactly the same terms as all other members of staff which includes cooked meals on duty, paid holiday allowance, we’d add a similar sick pay to state requirements where they don’t qualify; and they receive the equivalent of our company pension into their salary, (they wouldn’t qualify for a UK pension scheme).

“We see this very much as an opportunity to help them, as full employees and part of the team. Some people think hospitality businesses see this as an opportunity to use underpaid labour – this is categorically not the case.”

Tourism businesses with potential job opportunities for Ukrainian refugees can email Molly Hill at mhill@cumbriatourism.org to find out more.