Compass Group UK and Ireland joins Tent UK, a new coalition of companies connecting refugees to jobs

Compass Group UK and Ireland announces today it has joined Tent UK, a new coalition of 70 major companies that are committed to helping refugees become job ready and secure employment in the UK.

Kerry Crompton-Harris, Compass Group UK&I's People Director, Workforce Strategy & Payroll commented:  "The launch of Tent UK is hugely exciting and is aligned with Our Social Promise where we will provide support to one million people by 2030  from both within and outside our organisation, through our Mission to a Million campaign. Working with Tent UK we can enhance people’s opportunities – changing their lives by creating opportunities for employment, as well as to learn more and develop.” 

In recent years, the UK has welcomed more than 500,000 refugees with approximately half hailing from Ukraine and the remaining half from Afghanistan, Hong Kong, Syria, and elsewhere – yet many have been unable to find formal employment. While they have the legal right to work, refugees are over 20% less likely to be employed than Brits, with this gap widening to 30% for refugee women, according to the UK government.

At the same time, the UK is experiencing labour shortages, with almost one million job vacancies, across key industries such as hospitality, food service and others including manufacturing & healthcare. 

“At a moment when UK employers face significant labour shortages, yet refugees across the country struggle to find decent employment, we see an extraordinary opportunity for our work,” said Gideon Maltz, CEO of Tent. “The coalition of companies that has come together to launch Tent UK understands that we need to act at scale to help hundreds of thousands of refugees in the UK secure jobs, rebuild their lives, and integrate into their new communities. Tent is uniquely placed and ready to help companies develop ambitious programmes to include refugees.” 

“Tent is immensely proud to have brought together 70 leading businesses resolved to connect refugees to meaningful employment,” said Jen Stobart, UK Director at Tent. “Refugees face numerous barriers to formal employment, such as lower language proficiency, transportation issues, lack of childcare options, as well as a lack of social and professional networks. These hurdles require particular attention from businesses, who – by making small upfront investments and tailoring their hiring practices – can level the playing field and give a fair chance to the many refugees still looking for a job in the UK.”

Tent UK will offer participating companies a host of services free of charge including: resources and trainings for HR teams; the sharing of best practices and ideas distilled from Tent’s global network of over 400 major companies across a dozen countries who are hiring and integrating refugees into their workforces, as well as tailored programmes and insights to the UK market context; regular convenings and workshops with other Tent UK member companies for peer-to-peer learning; and introductions to best-in-class partners across the UK that can source refugee talent based on the type of roles, the location, and their past performance.