Refugee Week: rebuilding engineering careers

Overview

Join us in partnership with the Welsh Refugee Council to celebrate the contribution of refugees to civil engineering and highlight barriers to accessing the profession. This event is for civil engineering refugees and asylum seekers who have a civil engineering background, refugee sector professionals, and anyone interested in supporting refugees in gaining professional qualifications and employment in the UK.

Significant employment barriers are faced by refugee civil engineers, with many unable to utilise their qualifications. Civil engineering refugees have much to offer the profession as they bring invaluable skills and experience from different global contexts.

Nareen Bowers, ICE membership development officer and refugee pathway lead supports refugees and asylum seekers in the UK through introduction to professional qualifications. The institution for civil engineers provides a free academic assessment and further guidance to gaining professional qualifications.

Refugee civil engineers Oleksandr Tarabanovsky and Afraa Mahdi will speak about their experiences and challenges and how the ICE has assisted them.

Finn McKendrick, Welsh Refugee Council education and employability manager will talk about career pathways he is putting in place within the construction and civil engineering sector. He will speak about why this is important in relation to the skills gap that exists within Wales, and the Welsh Refugee Council's advocacy work to champion the creation of an immigration salary and occupation list specific to Wales' needs.