Unique collaboration between the Municipality of Eindhoven, Ergon and STE Languages

Those who have to flee from war not only leave home and hearth behind but are also forced to build a new life. In Eindhoven, three parties have joined forces to help refugee Ukrainians. The Municipality of Eindhoven, three employers (AVT Wiring & Connecting, Team Duurzaam and Ergon) and STE Languages together ensure that people are not only guided to work, but also learn the Dutch language. What is special about this is that the language training takes place in the workplace.

On behalf of the Municipality, Duco Roggen has been appointed project coordinator for labour participation of Ukrainians in Southeast Brabant. He explains how this project came about: “In the beginning we thought the war will be over soon and then the Ukrainians will go back. It soon turned out that this was not the case and the Ukrainians wanted to look for work. The entry for job-seeking Ukrainians in the Southeast Brabant region is Huis Naar Werk. There, they are guided to work by the Municipality Employment Team (WGT). An approach has been chosen in which the Municipality itself has a proactive role. Eindhoven is unique in this. In many municipalities, refugees are referred to employment agencies. We thought it was important to stay involved in the process. In the end, we were able to guide many Ukrainians into paid work with various employers. For example, a group started working with cable harnesses at AVT Wiring & Connecting. Another group is active in installing solar panels at Team Duurzaam. And at Ergon Ukrainians work in the laundry, the nursery and at Paccar Parts. At these three employers, work is combined with offering language training.”

The importance of language
Work is a first step towards a new life, but speaking the language is also important. Duco: “We actively involved the Ukrainians in this. We literally asked them how they see their future, where they want to live and whether they want to learn the language. Although they could choose between English and Dutch, the preference was mainly for Dutch. So those people are very motivated to build a life here and we would like to facilitate that.”

This motivation is recognized by Jeroen Wissink, manager of the People & Work business unit at Ergon: “The Ukrainians who work for us have an excellent work ethic, but communication is sometimes difficult. Many of them do not speak any language other than Ukrainian or Russian. We used to work a lot with translation apps and translations of work instructions. That helps, but it's nice to learn certain basic skills, even if it's just to greet each other in the cafeteria. Targeted language training helps enormously with daily contact.”

Personal attention
Language training is provided by STE Languages. About 40 Ukrainians receive language training for 2 hours a week over 30 weeks. This is done at the employer's location. The participants are divided into groups of six to eight people, so that there is enough room for personal attention. Mathilde Lageman set up this project on behalf of STE Languages. Mathilde: “Speaking the local language is crucial if you want to build a new life in a foreign country. The sooner you start doing that, the better. This pilot shows that language training can be set up quickly if you all have the same goal. And that is only helpful for the participants.”

What now?
This project is a pilot that will be evaluated in mid-2023. Not only Ergon, the Municipality and STE Languages then sit around the table, the students are also given plenty of room to share their experiences. Duco: “As a municipality, we naturally want to know what it will bring us. This works best if you actively involve the participants themselves. We cannot yet draw firm conclusions, but the first experiences are positive. It is remarkable how well the participants already speak Dutch after a few weeks of training.”

They also see the effect of the language training at STE Languages. Mathilde: “Even before the start of the courses, with the trainers we got to know the students in the workplace. Here we saw driven and motivated people and such an attitude is necessary when learning a new language. Getting from the absolute starting level to A1 requires a lot of effort from both students and teachers. Doing homework, participating in class, using the right trainers, even a trainer with Ukrainian as a native language and appropriate teaching materials have certainly led to success. With these training courses, the first step has been taken towards a basic user of Dutch.”

Finally, at Ergon, the interim experiences are also positive. Jeroen: “We see committed employees who feel included and valued. This contributes significantly to the Ukrainians’ integration and fits in very well with Ergon's mission as a social development company. Together with the Municipality and STE Languages, we can help the refugee Ukrainians to build a new future.”