As part of a larger effort to assist individuals fleeing persecution, Amazon has pledged to hire 5,000 Ukrainian and other European refugees.
Microsoft, Hilton Hotels, and Adecco are also among the companies promising to provide career or work support.
It comes as a record 110 million people around the world have been forced to flee their homes.
The Vice-President of the European Commission, Margaritis Schinas, stated that far too many refugees were unable to find work.
She stated, “This is despite our endemic shortage of skills, their high levels of education, desire to earn a living, and legal right to work [in the EU] through the Temporary Protection Directive.”
“Tens of thousands of Ukrainians will be able to provide for themselves and their loved ones back in Ukraine thanks to this unprecedented show of support from businesses across the continent.”
Over 5.9 million Ukrainian refugees live in Europe as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with 1.3 million residing in Russia and Belarus.
Others have fled persecution and conflicts in places like Syria, Sudan, and Afghanistan.
The charity Tent Partnership for Refugees, which is in charge of coordinating the efforts, said that the majority of Ukrainian refugees in Europe were women and had trouble finding work.
These included juggling childcare obligations and not knowing the local language.
Big companies like Amazon, Hilton, and Marriott have pledged to hire 13,680 Ukrainians and other refugees over the next three years as part of its initiative.
In addition, staffing firms like Adecco will assist 150,000 individuals in finding employment, and Accenture and Microsoft will assist in training over 86,000 individuals.
Under its Welcome Door program, Amazon has already pledged to hire at least 5,000 refugees in the United States by the end of 2024.
It claimed that it also offered mentorship and training, access to self-help guides on settling into a new community, and financial support for immigration-related procedures.
The majority of the new positions for refugees, according to the company, which has 200,000 employees across Europe, would be in fulfillment and distribution.
However, the e-commerce giant’s vice president, J Ofori Agboka, stated that employees could “move into jobs that are in different levels of the organization that are commensurate with their skills and abilities.”
Benefits of Amazon, Hilton, and Pepsi will employ thousands of European refugees.
The benefits of Amazon, Hilton, and Pepsi hiring thousands of European refugees are:
- Helping refugees rebuild their lives: Refugees who are able to find employment are more likely to be able to support themselves and their families, and to rebuild their lives after being forced to flee their homes.
- Contributing to the European economy: Refugees who are able to find employment are more likely to contribute to the European economy by paying taxes and spending money on goods and services.
- Increasing diversity: Refugees come from a variety of backgrounds and cultures, which can help to increase the diversity of the workforce at Amazon, Hilton, and Pepsi. This can lead to a more innovative and creative workforce.
- Improving employee morale: Employees who see their company helping refugees may be more likely to feel good about their work and be more productive.
- Positive public relations: Hiring refugees can generate positive publicity for Hilton, and Pepsi, which can help to attract new customers and employees.
Overall, there are a number of potential benefits to Amazon, Hilton, and Pepsi from hiring thousands of European refugees. These benefits include helping refugees rebuild their lives, contributing to the European economy, increasing diversity, improving employee morale, and positive public relations.
In addition to the benefits listed above, there are a number of other potential benefits to refugees from being hired by Amazon, Hilton, and Pepsi. These include:
- Access to training and development opportunities: Amazon, Hilton, and Pepsi offer a variety of training and development opportunities to their employees. This can help refugees to develop the skills they need to succeed in their careers.
- Access to healthcare and other benefits: Amazon, Hilton, and Pepsi offer a variety of healthcare and other benefits to their employees. This can help refugees to improve their health and well-being.
- Access to a supportive community: Amazon, Hilton, and Pepsi have a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion. This can help refugees to feel welcome and supported in their new workplace.
Overall, there are a number of potential benefits to both Amazon, Hilton, and Pepsi and to refugees from the companies hiring thousands of European refugees. These benefits include helping refugees rebuild their lives, contributing to the European economy, increasing diversity, improving employee morale, positive public relations, access to training and development opportunities, access to healthcare and other benefits, and access to a supportive community.
