Refugee Education & Training. Issues for Further Education.

Overview & Synopsis

Since 1992, Britain's Further Education Unit (FEU) has sponsored a series of projects, including two conferences and a number of case studies, to identify refugees' education and training needs and explore appropriate curriculum and accreditation of refugees who have professional qualifications. The projects established the following: (1) unlike most settled minority groups in Britain, refugees are often academically overqualified for lower-graded jobs but lack the language skills and work experience for high-level management positions; (2) in addition to requiring education and training, refugees entering further education (FE) require special English language support, guidance and counseling, assessment of prior experience, and work experience; and (4) individuals responsible for developing FE programs for refugees must consider organizational, eligibility, requalification/conversion, funding, and other factors limiting eligibility for and access to FE. Actions that the FEU can take to address the identified problems in providing refugees with the education and training they need for employment were identified. (Appended are names/addresses of organizations and publications concerned with refugee education and training and a list of the 10 organizations providing case studies.) (MN)