Thessaloniki, September 23, 2019
“The right to work is universal. If we are open to difference, people can become carriers of knowledge, development, and creativity. All they need is to be given the opportunity to do so”.
Empowerment, job searching techniques, CV preparation, labor rights, skills development, business connectivity and entrepreneurship are some of the topics to be discussed at the first Job Fair organized by SolidarityNow on 26th and 27th September, in the city of Thessaloniki, at the Blue Refugee Center. This action is an initiative of the SIRIUS program, aiming to bring together refugees, migrants, asylum seekers and companies operating in Greece.
The Job Fair is a new initiative of the organization, which aims to connect people of different cultures with new work contexts and to inform and support Greek employers in order for them to reach refugees and migrants.
The integration of refugees and migrants into the Greek labor market and therefore into Greek society is a process with many challenges. The lack of knowledge of the Greek language and cultural differences in combination with high rates of unemployment and discrimination in the country, create additional barriers of entry into the labor market. If we are open to difference, people can become carriers of knowledge, development, and creativity. All they need is to be given an opportunity. SolidarityNow through its Employment & Job Counseling Service, which operates at the Blue Refugee Center in Thessaloniki, but also at the organization’s Solidarity Centers in Athens and Thessaloniki, strives to create conditions for equal access and opportunities for all.
“It is very important for us at SolidarityNow to inform our beneficiaries, not only about ways to overcome challenges at the workplace, but also to encourage Greek businesses to pave the way for recruitment”, notes Ioanna Fourkiotou, Director of SolidarityNow’s activities in northern Greece and responsible for the organization of the Job Fair.
In this first effort we will be honored with the presence of various organizations and businesses, as well as refugees, migrants and asylum seekers, who will share their relevant experiences. The main objective of the Job Fair organized by SolidarityNow is to promote professional rehabilitation through direct contact and dialogue, and the exchange of views and ideas, to solve concerns and questions but also to create the basis for a better tomorrow, with more workplace opportunities for all.
* The SIRIUS program “Skills and Integration of Immigrants, Refugees and Asylum Seekers in the European Labor Market”, funded by the European Union, started in January 2018 and lasts three years. The program involves 11 actors from 7 countries. The program in Greece is implemented by SolidarityNow.
*The Blue Refugee Center Blue, launched in 2016, is supported by the UNHCR and funded by the European Union.
*The Employment Service operates at SolidarityNow’s Solidarity Centers in Athens and Thessaloniki as well as at the Blue Refugee Center in Thessaloniki, as one of the many services provided free of charge to anyone in need.