Examining Best Practices in Fostering Refugees’ Careers and Labor Market Integration

Abstract

Displaced by violence, war, and persecution, millions of refugees seek shelter abroad. Host country agencies and researchers in turn wonder how best to integrate these people into society and the workplace, given the financial and psychological benefits of work for refugees and host country societies alike. When trying to obtain employment, refugees often face barriers to their professional advancement, find themselves disadvantaged when searching for work and end up unemployed, underemployed, or placed into temporary work; all of which jeopardize both their well-being and integration into society. Yet vocational research on refugees is still in its infancy. Scholars lack in- depth insights into this diverse yet distinctive migrant group and into the roles, responsibilities, and actions of different actors involved in the process of managing refugees’ vocational integration. This symposium addresses this complexity and responds to calls to (1) further study refugees’ vocational integration and (2) integrate multilevel perspectives to examine the factors that affect refugees’ vocational integration management. Incorporating insights from six countries, we contribute conceptually and practically to refugees’ career development and labor market integration across contexts and governmental systems. First, we extend career research by exploring refugees’ agency and career-related activities, the means to enhance their job search, and the potential of and cross-cultural variations in refugee entrepreneurship. Second, we further diversity and HRM research by unraveling how a diverse group of actors can support refugees’ vocational integration and how adopted programs can facilitate refugees’ job search. Lastly, we further knowledge on how to conduct ethical refugee research. Refugees’ Self-Regulation in Job Search and Vocational Integration: Learning Independent Action Presenter: Katja Wehrle; Justus-Liebig U. Giessen Presenter: Ute-Christine Klehe; Justus-Liebig U. Giessen Presenter: Mari Kira; U. of Michigan Presenter: Jan Alexander Häusser; Justus-Liebig U. Giessen The Political Arena of Refugee Inclusion at Work Presenter: Lena Knappert; VU Amsterdam Presenter: Angela Kornau; Helmut Schmidt U. Presenter: Martina Maletzky; U. of Passau Presenter: Renate Ortlieb; U. of Graz Presenter: Hans Van Dijk; Tilburg U. How Do State Programs Facilitate Labor Market Integration of Refugees? Presenter: Renate Ortlieb; U. of Graz Presenter: Petra Eggenhofer-Rehart; U. of Graz, Austria Presenter: Sandra Leitner; The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies Presenter: Roland Hosner; German Center for Integration and Migration Research Presenter: Michael Landesmann; The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies Refugees’ Readiness for Entrepreneurship: A Cross-Cultural Comparison Presenter: Martin M. Baluku; Makerere U. school of Psychology Presenter: Florence Nansubuga; Makerere U. school of Psychology Presenter: Kathleen Otto; Philipps-U. Marburg Developing Privacy Technology to Responsibly Collect Smartphone Data Among Refugees Presenter: Lisa E. Baranik; U. at Albany, State U. of New York Presenter: Liyue Fan; U. of North Carolina, Charlotte Presenter: Rachel Williamson Smith; Louisiana State U.