Pilot job placements at MAC Cosmetics stores will be given to refugees in a new cross-industry effort
Estée Lauder Companies UK&I (ELC UK&I) has announced its partnership with Tent Partnership for Refugees by becoming a founding brand of Tent UK, an initiative that will help refugees find jobs in the UK
Tent UK, a new coalition of 70 brands dedicated to helping refugees find work, are committed to aiding refugees in finding employment through job preparation and the creation of career opportunities.
As part of a pilot phase, ELC UK&I will offer placements to refugees in its MAC stores across London.
Following this, ELC UK&I will roll out the initiative across other brands to create more viable pathways to employment. The corporation, which is a Patron of the British Beauty Council, is behind some of the UK’s most renowned brands such as Jo Malone, Too Faced, and Clinique.
On the announcement, President of Estée Lauder Companies UK & Ireland, Sue Fox, said: ‘We are honoured to be joining the Tent UK business coalition to help drive employment opportunities for refugees here in the UK (…) This is an important step towards making the beauty industry more inclusive and representative of our society.’
The initiative is being introduced at the much needed time, with the UK currently hosting over 500,000 refugees from across the globe. Whilst refugees legally have the right to work, there are many challenges that prevent those that settle in the UK from finding sustainable employment and income.
From employer bias and language barriers to the lack of childcare availability, Tent UK hopes to overcome numerous challenges faced by refugees via its commitment.
Tent Partnership for Refugees also emphasises the benefits of this programme for UK businesses, with CEO Gideon Maltz saying: ‘“At a moment when UK employers face significant labour shortages, yet refugees across the country struggle to find decent employment, we see an extraordinary opportunity for our work.’
The organisation’s research goes on to highlight that half of British people believe taking action to hire refugees has a positive impact on alleviating labour shortages.
A number of other organisations have joined the coalition including L’Oréal, Unilever, GSK and more. You can find out more about the initiative here
