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According to a report published by Third Force News, an online resource dedicated exclusively to Scotland's third sector, Radiant and Brighter Communities - a charity based in Glasgow, Scotland - recently found newly arrived, non-EU immigrants employment thanks to an innovative new project.
The charity has been working in partnership with one of the UK's leading retailers in Glasgow, enabling immigrants from outside of the European Union to find work.
Formed in 2014 by Pheona and Micheal Matovu, Radiant and Brighter Communities recently helped two men from Sudan secure jobs with retail giant Marks and Spencer. The men have been offered job roles in customer services at a new store in Uddingston.
Radiant and Brighter Communities helps immigrants
Social enterprise, Radiant and Brighter Communities was established to assist individuals and families relocating to Scotland. The organisation offers training in English, ICT (information and communication technology) skills, etc and provides mentoring. They also work with businesses, offering culture and diversity training.
They work in partnership with several leading organisations including Marks and Spencer, the Royal Bank of Scotland and the Wise Group – plus various community and arts groups – to provide an eight week course where newly arrived immigrants volunteer to learn new skills in customer service.
The two Sudanese men worked alongside Marks and Spencer staff, enabling them to grow in confidence and gain experience of working in a retail environment.
Chief Executive of the Wise Group, Laurie Russell said: "We are delighted to be working in partnership with Radiant and Brighter Communities to support them with overcoming the challenges that their customers face integrating into UK communities and getting into work."
A spokesperson for Marks and Spencer said: "We were delighted to see the young men positive and smiling despite the fact they faced daily challenges. They would often want to work longer hours even though they were not getting paid. We were involved in the programme to find talented individuals to work with Marks and Spencer and we have found some."
