Labour market integration of young refugees and asylum seekers: a look at perceived barriers and resources. Issue 2 (4th March 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Udayar, Shagini; Fedrigo, Laurence; Durante, Federico; Clot-Siegrist, Eva; Masdonati, Jonas
• Is Part Of: British journal of guidance & counselling. Volume 49:Issue 2(2021)
• Page Start: 287
• Page End: 303
• Publication Date: 2021-03-04
• Subjects: Refugees -- asylum seekers -- resources and barriers -- labour market integration -- narrative career counselling; Educational counseling -- Great Britain -- Periodicals; Vocational guidance -- Great Britain -- Periodicals; 371.4
• DOI: 10.1080/03069885.2020.1858023
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0306-9885

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Immigration has been increasing at a significant rate over the past decades. The labour market integration of immigrants—especially of young refugees and asylum seekers—is a major challenge for not only the host country but also the immigrants themselves. This study is based on narrative career counselling, specifically the "journey of life" narrative metaphor; it is aimed at exploring the barriers and resources that 14 refugees and asylum seekers (ages 19–25) enrolled in a state integration programme in the French-speaking part of Switzerland perceive in their quest for labour market integration. The results show that language proficiency is the main barrier and that they can rely on a host of resources to achieve sustainable labour market integration.