TLC Scholarship Partners

WHO ARE TLC?

The Launchpad Collective (TLC) is a non-profit organisation established in 2020 to support people from refugee backgrounds into employment, across the full spectrum of skillsets and industry sectors.

Our trail-blazing initiatives in this area are designed by refugees for refugees and have so far been funded entirely by grants and charitable donations.  

WHAT'S THE PROBLEM?  

The skills & labour shortage is one of the most urgent problems facing the UK economy right now, with the country in the grip of a major employment crisis. 

With a record number of unfilled vacancies (1.3m and climbing), recruiting refugees presents a huge opportunity for UK businesses that are struggling to operate at full capacity and cope with spiralling inflation. 

The good news is that there is a highly motivated workforce in waiting... 

• Research shows that two in every three refugees arriving in the UK were either employed, self-employed or in full-time study before coming here. 
• Many are skilled professionals and/or highly-educated graduates. 
• The challenge is unlocking this talent, we are here to help.

WHAT'S THE SOLUTION?

We know that refugee job seekers struggle with recruitment processes and accessing employment opportunities, and that businesses struggle to reach and recruit from this untapped pool of talent - so our services bring the two together.

We are The Launchpad Collective, working closely with a huge network of job seekers, recruiters, SMEs, large corporates, major public sector employers like the NHS and strategic partners such as the City & Guilds Foundation to change the face of refugee employment. 

We do this via a unique suite of highly-focused services...  

WHY TLC? 

Steered by refugees, for refugees, The Launchpad Collective (TLC) forges lasting relationships between employers and talented refugees. Businesses are supported to become refugee-friendly, whilst refugees are empowered to unlock their potential through our training and learning packages.

We work as a collective with all our services co-created and delivered by people from refugee backgrounds.  We already have six paid core team members and our goal is for TLC to be managed entirely by people with direct lived experience.

Our Impact to date: 

In the last 12 months, we have supported: 

• 22 clients with Work Ready English
• 16 clients into permanent jobs 
• 28 clients into paid temporary work 
• 18 clients with Tailored Support 
• 2 clients into voluntary positions 
• 4 clients with Work Experience 
• 11 clients with Training 
• 113 clients with Online Talks 
• 36 clients referred to other organisations 

Here 's what just a few of our clients say about us... 

TLC Client (Employer): "Our company employed the very first candidate introduced to us by The Launchpad Collective and he has quickly become a key member of our small but perfectly-formed team. TLC's involvement saved us a huge amount of time, money and frustration in the recruitment process."

TLC Client (Employer): "It's great to know that The Launchpad Collective are available whenever we need advice. We are an inclusive employer so it’s reassuring to know that if there is anything we're unsure about, or we are in unchartered waters, the TLC team are always there to help, which they’ve made very clear."

TLC Client (Job Seeker): “TLC helped me into employment, supporting me every step of the way. First of all, we found a printing company that offered voluntary roles. They helped me prepare and practice for the interview, and a volunteer even came with me on the day. I was successful and was offered a voluntary position. I did this for a few weeks and they could see how reliable and hard working I am, so I was quickly offered a paid job. Six months later, my brother and I both had full-time, paid jobs there.  Working has changed our lives. We’ve made new friends who have shown us the country we live in now, taught us how life is here and helped us to understand the difference between Syrian and British culture. Being employed helps us feel welcome and that we deserve a better life. It gives us a chance to show the world that we are successful people."

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

Although much of our work is delivered by volunteers, we have a paid core team of six staff (all with refugee backgrounds).  

We calculate that it costs £1,000 to support each job seeker client and we are now looking for Scholarship Partners and wider support to enable us to keep expanding our work. 

How will we use your donation?

We will use all funding from this Crowdfunder campaign to support even more refugee job seekers with their pathways to employment, expanding our services and helping us to develop additional initiatives.

Every £1,000 of donations will provide a refugee with free access to: 

• Work-ready English course 
• Online talks programme
• Build on existing skills
• Prepare a winning CV and linkedin profile 
• Prepare for job interviews 
• Apply for jobs that match their skills 
• Build confidence 
• Volunteer and work experience weeks 
• Support with applying for vocational training 
• Support with University applications 
• Signposting to additional services