Help for refugees to thrive

Mar 5 2008 by Hazel Ettienne, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

A NEW education and employment advice service for asylum seekers and refugees has been launched in Kirklees.

Refugee Education Advice Service (Retas) aims to integrate asylum seekers and refugees into society through education and employment.

More than 25 people attended the launch at Clare House, Clare Hill, including Huddersfield MP Barry Sheerman, representatives from Womenspace, Surestart, Kirklees libraries and education authority, KRAFT, Kirklees Asylum Support Service and Huddersfield Technical College.

Several asylum seekers and refugees also attended the event.

A weekly drop-in advice service will be held every Thursday between 1 and 4pm at the Kirklees Asylum Team base, Clare House.

It will be run by education and employment advisors, Emily Levermore and Noma Mayo.

Duncan Wells, senior manager of Retas, said: “This new service in Huddersfield has already been extremely busy, highlighting the demand for education and employment advice for refugees and asylum seekers in the locality.

“We currently support 300 clients a year, helping them to integrate into society through education and employment, and we are hoping to increase this number significantly with this new drop in.

“At Retas we strive to help people reach their potential.

“Often asylum seekers come to the UK having fled suffering or danger and are extremely lonely, depressed and disorientated.

“We help people regain self- confidence and find their feet through education and employment – whether this means helping a doctor or teacher re-qualify, finding a suitable English course for an at home mother or helping a plumber find work.”

As well as one-to-one advice and guidance, Retas also offers support through re-qualification, English classes and exam grants, job placements, work experience, volunteering, empowerment and advocacy courses, job skills courses, advice about further and higher education, re-qualification programme for doctors and teachers, help with writing a CV or completing application forms, mock interviews and feedback.

To make an appointment for an advice session at the new drop-in, refugees and asylum seekers can call the Retas office on 0113 240 7320.