Career Development of Refugees

Labour market integration of young refugees and asylum seekers: a look at perceived barriers and resources

“…Concerning the barriers, the literature stresses that refugees and asylum seekers have often faced trauma and difficult life conditions in their home countries and during the migratory journey (Hynie, 2018;Schultheiss & Davis, 2015;Yakushko, Backhaus, Watson, Ngaruiya, & Gonzalez, 2008). Moreover, once in the host country, they face other barriers at different levels (individual and/or contextual), to their career development, labour market integration, and access to decent work, including language difficulties, lack of knowledge about the labour market and broader culture, unrecognised work experience and diplomas, discrimination, and inadequate support (Atitsogbe, Udayar, & Durante, 2019;Zacher, 2019). All of these barriers limit their access to employment opportunities and decent work (Stewart, 2007).…”

“…Many participants recognised this barrier and planned to overcome it, which was a first step towards their integration. Indeed, proficiency in the host country's language plays a critical role in sociocultural adjustment (El Khoury, 2019), in the ability to seize career opportunities (Zacher, 2019) and is considered as a facilitator of labour market integration (Ager & Strang, 2008). Participants did not specifically mention certain barriers that are highlighted in the literature, such as traumatic events (and the related health issues) and discrimination (Schultheiss & Davis, 2015;Yakushko et al, 2008), although some of them briefly hinted at these topics.…”

“…Immigrants reported to possess some socially valorised traits and character strengths that are commonly associated with subjective well-being and successful career development (Feldman & Ng, 2007;Peterson & Seligman, 2004;Zacher, 2019). The participants mentioned adaptability and coping strategies, which are considered as protective factors during relocation (Schultheiss & Davis, 2015;Yakushko et al, 2008).…”

Young refugees’ and asylum seekers’ career choices: a qualitative investigation

“…Social and professional integration is a challenging process for many refugees and asylums seekers (R/ASs) (Yakushko et al, 2008). Once they arrive in the host country, they have to apply for asylum status and possibly for family reunification while adapting to the language and culture of the host country (Zacher, 2019). Work is among the most important ways in which to rapidly integrate into the host society (Newman et al, 2018).…”

“…Vocational and educational professionals have also developed theories and tools to help R/As to construct their careers in their new realities while considering their past experiences, refining their identities, and giving new directions to their lives (e.g., Abkhezr, 2018;Schultheiss et al, 2011). With education and employment being pivotal for a sustainable integration (Zacher, 2019), this study focused on the career construction of R/ASs in the Swiss context. More specifically, we sought to understand how they make their career choices in the light of their life trajectories and present situations, and considering contextual constraints.…”