Young Business Person of the Year Announces Expansion of Refugee Work Placement Programme

Peter Paduh, Director of Maxitech.biz (www.maxitech.biz) award winning computer recycling enterprise in London announces expansion of refugee work placement programme.

London, UK (PRWEB) April 3, 2006 -- Practitioners who work to support refugees into employment met in London last Friday to discuss future strategic developments in London's refugee integration agenda. Over 100 participants from across London attended the conference, which demonstrated the vast contributions refugees could make to London's economic development if London employers tapped into this skilled workforce.

The keynote speaker was Peter Paduh, the Managing Director of Maxitech (www.maxitech.biz), an award winning company which recycles and refurbishes IT and electronic and computer equipment. Peter gave an inspirational account of his journey from young refugee to successful entrepreneur. Maxitech, which has won several awards, has developed a highly effective IT work placement scheme for unemployed and disadvantaged people including refugees, and plans to expand the programme from 100 to 200 individuals this year. Peter himself was awarded Young Business Person of the Year 2005 by the London Chamber of Commerce and ITV.

Peter Paduh said, "Because I personally found it so difficult to find opportunities in a new country to fulfill my dream of starting my own business, I decided to offer these job placement opportunities to refugees to give them that crucial chance that can make all the difference. The community in London has helped me so much since I founded Maxitech and it is great to be in a position to give something back now."

Jon Williams, co-ordinator of London Refugee Economic Action (LORECA) welcomed the encouraging success story Peter's accomplishments demonstrated, particularly his commitment to providing refugees with work placements in his business, "Work placements can play a vital role in providing refugees with UK work experience that they need to be competitive in the workplace and demonstrate to employers the potential of refugees. Many of London's refugees have excellent skills to offer, they just need to get their foot on the ladder". In the coming months, LORECA will be developing a strategy to work with London employers on enhancing their recruitment of refugees.

Refugee Employment, Education, Training and Advice Partnership (REETA) offers a successful refugee job brokerage project, in conjunction with REED in Partnership, which has placed almost 150 individuals into work.

Abdullahi Mohamed, REETA project co-ordinator, states "Many refugees have undertaken a very difficult journey toward rebuilding their lives. We need utilise their potential, by carrying out skill assessments, building their confidence and supporting them to obtain suitable education, training and employment and enterprise opportunities."

A representative of the Greater London Authority told the meeting about the Mayor of London's new role from Spring 2006 providing strategic leadership of refugee integration in London, and about how he plans to work with LORECA to develop a strategy for refugee employment in London. A conference report will be published shortly on the LORECA web site, and circulated to the Mayor and other key stakeholders involved in London's refugee integration.

Background:

1. 'Routes to Employment & Enterprise: A Journey Planner for London's Refugees' was the 3rd REETA Refugee Employment conference, held in association with LORECA.

2. Funding for the 'Routes to Employment and Enterprise' conference has been provided by through North London Aspire DP, LORECA, and REETA which is based at Pepys Community Forum:

• North London Aspire DP is funded by the European Social Fund EQUAL programme and the London Development Agency.

• LORECA is funded by the European Social Fund, London Development Agency, and Learning and Skills Council. LORECA's partnership consists of Off the Streets and into Work (lead partner), Refugee Council, UK NARIC, Refugee Women's Association and Resource Information Service (associate partner).

• Pepys Community Forum is supported by Jobcentre Plus, REED in Partnership, Neighbourhood Renewal Unit, Lewisham Strategic Partnership, Association of Community Based Business Advice, and the New Cross Gate NDC.

3. The Department for Work and Pensions estimates that refugees have an unemployment rate of 36%. Quoted in House of Commons Work and Pensions Committee (2005) Department for Work and Pensions: Delivery of Services to Ethnic Minority Clients. London: HMSO. Other research indicates that refugee unemployment is vastly higher.

4. Peter Paduh, now 28, set up his first business as a 12 year-old in Bosnia selling Commodore 64 computers. Maxitech, has already won several awards. Peter himself was also a finalist for the national Enterprising Young Brits 2005 award and the New Statesman Social Entrepreneur of the Year 2005 award.

5. Maxitech's highly successful work placement scheme provides refugees and other individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds with valuable work experience in the IT sector. Participants have gone on to secure jobs at Blue Chip IT companies, including Siemens, IBM and Fujitsu. www.maxitech.biz

6. REETA can also be contacted by email. REETA has seen over 1700 refugee and asylum-seeker clients in Lewisham in the last three years, and 149 have found employment.

7. During April, the Mayor is consulting refugee communities, boroughs, and voluntary and statutory sector organisations about his new work on refugee integration. For more information contact Sarah Cutler on 020 7983 4548.

8. LORECA's website is www.loreca.org.uk.

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