We want to support new arrivals to rebuild their lives in Wales. Being able to find a job is an important part of this process. Ukrainian Visa Holders have been granted the right to work in the UK.
Finding a job will not only increase your income but will help you settle into your new life.
Getting existing qualifications recognised by UK employers
You may have qualifications or experience in a particular job from your home country. You migt have to get your existing qualifications recognised by UK employers first.
If you want to do the same job in Wales, go to: UK ENIC can help with this. Please note you may need to pay.
Looking for work
- Careers Wales has a free service called Working Wales. Working Wales provides a single point of contact for personalised advice and training. This will help service-users to find and maintain good, long-term employment. Support includes:
- an assessment of barriers to employment;
- coaching and signposting;
- job searches;
- writing you CV (resumé);
- interview preparation; and
- finding work placements.
Support Finder gives you more information about finding work or gaining skills
If you want to find out about job vacancies, you can add your email address to the Job Bulletin
Jobs Website
Refugee Employment Network (REN) jobs website has employability opportunities with employers in Wales and England who understand the barriers to work that Ukrainians face.
Working Wales
You can ring Working Wales on +44 (0)800 028 4844 Monday to Thursday: 8am to 6pm | Friday: 9am to 4:30pm
Find Careers Centres across Wales listed by local authority, including opening times, addresses and a link to google maps.
Find Working Wales on their venues map. They offer face to face careers advice and guidance interviews at a variety of venues across Wales, including Careers centres, Job Centre Plus offices and other venues in the community.
Email: workingwales@careerswales.gov.wales
Applying for a job
Once you have identified a job you want to apply for, applications in the UK are usually made through an application form, or a CV (‘curriculum vitae’ - a formal list of your qualifications and experience) and a covering letter. Guidance on how to create a CV can be found on Careers Wales.
Once you have the job
Employers may also ask to see your documentation. It will help if you can bring your original documents such as your BRP or be prepared to show your digital status to show evidence of your right to work in the UK.
College diplomas and any other proof of your qualifications and experience will be helpful to show to employers.
Employers may also ask for references from people who can verify your suitability for employment (such as a former manager, teacher or colleague).
You may need to prove to an employer that you have the right to work in the United Kingdom. You can find more information about how to prove your right to work at the UK Government website.
If you have a job in the United Kingdom, you must pay National Insurance Contributions. To do this you must have a National Insurance Number.
If you do not have a National Insurance number you can apply at the UK Government website: https://www.gov.uk/apply-national-insurance-number. You need to be in the UK to apply. You may be required to attend a face-to-face appointment.
However, you can look for and start work without a National Insurance number for a short time if you can prove you can work in the UK.
Pay
Every employer in the country must pay their employees a minimum amount per hour. How much this is, depends on how old you are. Please check www.gov.uk/nationalminimum-wage-rates for the most up-to-date information.
The terms and conditions of your work will be outlined in your contract. Make sure you read this carefully, with an interpreter if necessary, before you sign.
Your rights in the workplace
When you go to work, you have the right to be treated fairly and work in a safe environment. You also have the right to be able to work without fear or harassment from your employer, colleagues or customers.
In most cases you will have the following rights when working for an employer in the United Kingdom:
- You must be paid at least the ‘National Minimum Wage’
- Your employer must not make illegal deductions from your pay
- You must receive payslip which explains your wage and any deductions
- You should receive a list of the main terms and conditions of your job
- You have the right to a certain amount of paid time off work each year.
- You have the right to take paid time off for antenatal care, maternity, paternity and adoption leave
- You must be granted daily and weekly rest breaks, and you usually cannot be forced to work more than 48 hours a week
- You should not be dismissed or treated unfairly at work if you become a ‘whistleblower’. This is someone who exposes suspected wrongdoing in their workplace.
- If you have been working for an employer for at least a month, they must give you notice if you are to be dismissed
- If you are dismissed while pregnant or on maternity leave then you must receive a written explanation of the reason from your employer
- If you are a part-time worker, you should have the same contractual rights as a full-time worker (in a similar role). You may not receive the same entitlements.
- If you are a fixed-term employee, you should have the same contractual rights as a permanent employee in a similar role
- You have the right to submit a request for flexible working (After six months)
You can get further advice about your rights and Employer’s responsibilities by contacting ACAS on 0300 123 1100.
Organisations and businesses have a legal duty to treat everyone fairly in the workplace and in the way they recruit people for jobs. It is illegal to discriminate against anyone applying for a job or in the workplace on the basis of sex and gender reassignment, race, religion, being married or in a civil partnership, disability, age, sexual orientation or if they are pregnant.
Employers must therefore respect the needs of an employee as long as it does not interfere with the work they are employed to do.
If you think you have been unfairly discriminated against you can get further advice and support from the Equality Advisory Service.
If you are being forced to work or your employer isn’t willing to respect your rights, you can also get advice from the Modern Slavery Helpline by calling 0800 0121 700.
Wales has a strong tradition of people helping one another, much of which is at a local level. If you’d like to help, there are over 40,000 voluntary organisations here involved in a wide range of activities.
Groups are often small, set up and run by people wanting to do something together for their community. These activities – sporting, cultural, environmental, and social – are part of day-to-day life.
What is volunteering?
Volunteering is an activity which:
- is undertaken by choice
- is undertaken to be of public/ community benefit
- is not undertaken for financial gain
How can I find a volunteering opportunity?
Volunteering Wales allows people to search for volunteering opportunities in their local area.
If you register, you will be able to search for opportunities and apply.
Will there be any checks?
Some volunteer roles may need a simple background check. Other roles may need an enhanced check, called an Enhanced DBS check. The opportunity should provide more details.
Where can I find more information?
More information is available on WCVA’s website: I want to volunteer
Wales Asylum Seeking and Refugee Doctors and Dentists (WARD) Group helps doctors and dentists who are refugees or asylum seekers. They can help doctors and dentists to restart careers in the UK National Health Service.
They provide support including:
- Weekly lessons for IELTS (The International English Language Testing System) and OET(Occupational English Test)
- PLAB (The Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board test) resources, course, and support group
- Exam payments for IELTS/OET, PLAB 1 and PLAB 2
- Help with GMC(General medical Council) registration
- 6 month paid supernumerary placement once GMC registered
Support with IELTS/OET is also available to asylum seekers and refugees from other healthcare professions.
WARD can help Dentists with both IELTS/OET lessons, and the language exam fees. For all other healthcare professionals, they can help with IELTS/OET classes and direct to other support. At some point they will be able to extend further support to other professions.
There is a waiting list for non-doctors/dentists now, as there is high demand.
To get in touch, to join or to find out more, please contact sam@dpia.org.uk or HEIW.professionalsupport@wales.nhs.uk