The world around us is changing every day. This means that our needs are constantly changing. This applies not only to the services we use, but also to the goods we buy. Manufacturers, service providers or companies in general need to adapt to these changes if they want to stay on the market. One of the key ingredients in achieving adaptability is workforce transformation. This includes modifying, creating new positions or moving staff from one role to another.
All of this means that labour market trends are constantly changing – even in the absence of geopolitical changes. But what would happen if more than 7 million Ukrainian refugees moved to EU countries? Will there be enough work for everyone and in which sectors will there be an increase in the number of applicants?
What problems do refugees encounter when looking for work?
Although a high percentage of Ukrainian refugees speak several languages and are well educated, it will be extremely difficult for them to find jobs that match their skills and knowledge. The foreign languages spoken by most Ukrainians are Russian and English. Both languages are spoken by a huge number of people around the world. Unfortunately, after Brexit, there is not a single EU country where Russian or English is the first official language.
Of course, there would also be people who speak other European languages, such as German and French. However, bearing in mind that they usually choose it as a third foreign language (after Russian and English), the number of people who speak one of them is very low.
Unrecognised education and experience
For certain professions, all EU countries have standards that must be approved for applicants. For example, to be a doctor, a person must have a medical degree and some experience, depending on the position he or she is interested in. Unfortunately, not every medical degree or experience is accepted. Under the legal policies of most EU countries, a doctor can only practise if he or she has a degree from a pre-approved list of universities or has gone through an approval process. These processes take a lot of time and effort. In addition, they are usually very expensive. Of course, the same rules apply to many other professions.
What are the options?
Since most refugees cannot afford to take long-term language courses or spend a lot of money to get their degree approved, they have no choice but to drop down a rung or two in the career ladder. This means that the engineer will have no choice but to work at the belt. Lawyers will have to work as assistants or trainees. And doctors and nurses will have to move from the hospital to a nursing home or home care.
Which jobs will be most in demand?
With many people expected to lose their jobs, the number of applicants for positions in manufacturing and caregiverwill increase dramatically. People who have lost their manufacturing jobs will be looking for similar work, and at the same time there will be fewer and fewer positions available.
As regards caregiver, the number of vacancies should not change, but the number of applicants should increase. On the one hand, some of the people who have lost their jobs will be looking for a change of employment in the health sector. On the other hand, working caregiverin the home is ideal for a refugee, as it solves the issue of accommodation while providing them with a well-paid job.
How he contributes Atena?
The philosopher John Dewey once said: “A well stated problem is half solved.” And because we don’t want to leave this problem half-solved, we are doing our part and working hard to solve it. We are currently launching new collaborations with employers in both the manufacturing and healthcare sectors.
And because language barriers are also a problem, we even offer to reimburse our clients for the cost of a course to help them get a better job. It doesn’t matter if you need a forklift certificate or a language course! If you meet the requirements, we will be happy to help you.
In summary, the labour market is changing dynamically, but as long as businesses respond appropriately, there should be no crisis. Perhaps the additional labour coming from Ukraine will also give a boost to EU economies and help growth. And no matter what changes come, we’ll adapt and grow to bring you better jobs. Work with professionals, success is no accident.
