5 March 2024 – Andron Facilities Management announces today it has joined Tent UK, a new coalition of 70 major companies committed to helping refugees become job-ready and secure employment in the UK.
Andron Facilities Management has been a Tent Partnership for Refugees member since September 2023 – a global network of companies committed to helping refugees access labour markets. By joining Tent UK as a founding member, Andron affirms its plans to double down on its refugee hiring programme in the UK.
“Andron is hugely proud to have already hired three Ukrainian refugees in Warrington and Glasgow who came to the UK via the Ukrainian Family Scheme. However, with global displacement at record levels, joining Tent UK gives us an excellent opportunity to increase our hiring and support of refugees across the country,” said Patricia Billings, Sustainability Manager at Andron. “I’ve seen first-hand the transformative power of employment in improving an individual’s circumstances. Through our social impact programme, Inclusive Futures, we’ve been working hard to provide jobs and career support to people across the UK who are at a disadvantage when trying to enter the labour market, including young care leavers and individuals experiencing homelessness. Given the odds refugees are up against when trying to secure work, expanding our support for refugees and helping them integrate into our communities is a logical next step for us.”
Key statistics from Tent UK
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 training 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.
ENDS
For media enquiries: media@tent.org
About Andron Facilities Management
Andron Facilities Management is a leading, family-owned soft facilities management service provider. With a team of 2,500 dedicated employees, Andron cleans and maintains nearly 1,000 UK sites for clients, including The Crown Estate and JLL.
Bringing together people, technology, data and sustainable practices, Andron delivers tailored solutions to sectors including offices, residential, banking, manufacturing, distribution and logistics, public, retail and more. Find out more at www.andron.co.uk.
About the Tent Partnership for Refugees
With more and more refugees displaced around the world, businesses have a critical role to play in helping refugees integrate economically in their new communities. Tent was launched in 2016 by Hamdi Ulukaya, the CEO and founder of Chobani – a multibillion dollar food company in the US – to mobilise global businesses to fill this gap. Today, Tent is a network of over 400 major companies committed to helping hundreds of thousands of refugees access local labour markets by helping them become job-ready and connecting them to work. Find out more at www.tent.org.