By following four highly educated refugees, their managers and mentors over a period of seven years, researchers have mapped how integration into the labour market and workplace takes place.
“The study shows that workplace integration is not only about achieving stable employment. It is an ongoing, dynamic and relational process that spans many years,” says Vedran Omanović, Senior Lecturer in Business Administration and one of the authors.
The individuals in the study arrived in Sweden during the major refugee influx of 2015–2016. All speak English and participated in an internship and mentoring programme at a large Swedish industrial company, where they subsequently received various forms of employment.
Managers and mentors are key actors
An inclusive approach from both managers and mentors is especially crucial for successful labour market integration.
“They not only help refugees understand the workplace and provide guidance, but they also open doors to future employment by helping build social networks. This is a long-term resource that affects the chances of gaining employment after the internship and beyond. Integration largely concerns relationships, commitment, and long-term efforts,” he says.
The refugees’ own drive, and their ability to learn and adapt, are also decisive factors in their transition to initial employment and further progression. The study provides several examples of how the refugees—despite at times limited agency and underlying tensions linked to their refugee status and power imbalances—navigate the integration process both in the labour market and in the workplace.
A positive and sustainable path towards integration
The long duration of the study enabled researchers to gain deeper insight into how labour market and workplace integration actually occurs.
“Because our study followed participants over time, we were able to observe how the integration process unfolded through four phases: before the internship, during the internship, in the transition to initial employment, and in the post-transition period. Each phase presented different challenges, such as temporary unpaid work, cultural and personal life issues, insecurity, inequality, and other societal difficulties. We explored how these challenges were managed and resolved to support a positive and sustainable path to workplace integration.”
