The commitment of the companies is enormous in view of the pictures from Ukraine and the arrival of refugees in Germany. The offers of help are varied. In addition to donations in kind and money, companies make housing available, for example, or teams organize the transfer of refugees from the border regions. This is also reflected in the BMWK and DIHK funded NETWORK “Companies integrate refugees”.
Katja Kortmann, member of the NETWORK and hotel director of the Esplanade Hotel Dortmund: “We have decided to help in different ways. In addition to masks, non-perishable food, water and hygiene items, we will donate 10 percent of our daily beverage income to various charities. Even if we are only a small company, we want to support where we can. Because if everyone makes even a small contribution, great things can be achieved.”
Michael Waiter, Parliamentary State Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Economics, says: “The willingness of companies to support refugees in many different ways is impressive. For many people who are currently having to leave Ukraine, the first priority is to find accommodation and look after their children. But it is good to know that entrepreneurs have acquired a wealth of knowledge and experience in the integration of refugees since 2015. In doing so, they provide important support for these people to gain a foothold in the labor market as soon as the topic becomes more relevant. I’m grateful that so many companies are getting involved.”
Achim Dercks, Deputy General Manager of the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce, adds: “With their commitment, the companies in the NETWORK have been making a major contribution to the mammoth task of integrating refugees into the labor market for years. With their accumulated practical knowledge, they are also an important help for companies that will devote themselves to the topic in the future. In addition to this practical knowledge of the companies, the general conditions also play a decisive role. Unbureaucratic access to the labor market is just as helpful as extensive support services for language acquisition.”
A survey conducted among the approximately 3,000 members of the “Companies integrate refugees” NETWORK shows how important social responsibility is to all companies that have been employing refugees for years. For many companies, social responsibility is the main reason for employing refugees. Almost 8 out of 10 companies (79 percent) state that they therefore train and employ refugees in their companies. This motivation was surveyed among member companies for the first time in 2017 and has consistently ranked first ever since.
Companies in the NETWORK have consistently maintained a high level of helpfulness for refugees over the past 5 years. Almost all of the companies surveyed (97 percent) state that they offer their refugee employees targeted support options so that they can find their way around the company and everyday life better. Companies most frequently support their trainees with private tuition (65 percent) and when dealing with authorities (60 percent). In addition, numerous companies offer additional language courses (57 percent) and provide support in finding accommodation or provide housing themselves (49 percent).
All results of the member survey can be found at:
www.nuif.de/mitgliederbefragung-2021
Further examples of the commitment of the NETWORK companies can be found at:
www.nuif.de/engagement
Further information
From November 2021 to January 2022, 275 of almost 3000 member companies of the NETWORK took part in the survey. Three out of four of the participating companies (75 percent) are small and medium-sized companies with up to 500 employees.
The NETWORK of companies integrating refugees was established in 2016 as a joint initiative of the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK) and the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. With currently more than 2,900 members, it is the largest association of companies in Germany that is committed to the training and employment of refugees. The NETWORK offers such as information material, webinars, workshops and events are free of charge, as is membership.
More information at www.unternehmen-integrieren-fluechtlinge.de.
press contact
Catherine Rich
NETWORK Companies integrate refugees
E-Mail: [email protected]
Tel.: 030 20308 6559
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