Talent Beyond Boundaries coronavirus response
The coronavirus pandemic is having a catastrophic impact on the world’s health systems and economies, and nobody can be sure how long this period of uncertainty will last.
Displaced people don’t have a safety net to cushion the blow in times like these and will be some of the hardest hit. This crisis drives home the importance of supporting displaced people to move towards secure futures—which is the core mission of Talent Beyond Boundaries (TBB).
Thanks to our committed funders, TBB will remain operational during this time—but our work will necessarily look a little different over the coming months.
Current restrictions on international travel combined with a general downturn in hiring (within most sectors) means our normal focus on recruitment and placement of skilled refugees will take a back seat for now. Instead, we’ll be using this time to:
Support displaced people to upload their CVs to our newly revamped online Talent Catalog, which will remain fully operational during this crisis. So far 20,000 displaced people have registered their skills on the Talent Catalog. The more signups we receive, the more people we will be able to match with employers when economic conditions improve.
Prioritise recruitment and placement of skilled refugees in industries that are experiencing ongoing (and even increasing) worker demand such as healthcare, manufacturing and food services.
Support TBB candidates and their families who have recently arrived in a new country to navigate radically new conditions, as well as candidates destined for new communities and jobs who have not yet moved and are now in limbo.
Better prepare refugee candidates in our pipeline for roles within priority industries (skilled trades, IT, manufacturing, engineering, professional services, etc) so they are ready to join the global workforce when economies start to recover.
Participate in public discourse by sharing stories about talented refugees and highlighting the unique impact that this crisis is having on displaced populations.
Carry out an internal program evaluation, reflecting on what we’ve learned so far and how we can do better in future.
Continue to fundraise to ensure our work can continue sustainably over the coming months and years.
Thoroughly document our program and processes, creating knowledge products that we can share with the world in accordance with our vision to ‘open source’ labour mobility for displaced talent.
All of us at TBB recognise the unprecedented nature of this global disaster, and we’re prepared to be agile in responding to new information as it arises.
Our team is deeply committed to scaling a labour mobility solution for refugees and other displaced people. So, while the focus of our work may be shifting temporarily, please know that we’re still open for business. If you’re an employer looking to hire a talented refugee, please reach out. If you’re a skilled refugee seeking international employment opportunities, please register via our Talent Catalog. If you’re looking to make an impact through a donation, please support our mission.
We’ll continue to communicate openly about our work as this crisis unfolds. In the meantime, our thoughts are with everybody affected. Please stay safe.
