Techfugees and Talent Beyond Boundaries partner to tackle refugee crisis and digital skills gap

Pioneering partnership set-up to accelerate mobility of refugee talent, tackle the global digital skills gap and rebuild shattered lives

Techfugees, a UK-headquartered global non-profit empowering the digital inclusion and rights of forcibly displaced people, announces today its partnership with Talent Beyond Boundaries (TBB), an organisation that  helps employers recruit displaced talent to fill labour gaps, and rebuild careers and lives.

This comes as the UNHCR estimates that a record 100 million people are currently forcibly displaced from their homes – around 1% of the global population, equivalent to the 14th most populous country in the world. At the same time, there’s a growing digital skills gap that threatens to hold back educational, economic and social progress.

Techfugees and Talent Beyond Boundaries will now combine their insight, expertise and networks to address these two global issues. Working with the global tech sector and the British, Canadian and Australian governments, the partnership will accelerate access to employment and international labour mobility opportunities for displaced people.

The goal is to modify or create skilled migration pathways, such as the UK’s displaced talent mobility pilot, to identify and overcome the barriers that refugees and displaced people face when seeking to move internationally as skilled workers.

The partnership calls on tech employers to present work opportunities and hire displaced talent via TBB’s Talent Catalog – a world-first database that provides an accurate picture of the professional potential of refugees and displaced populations. TBB then matches these tech roles with candidates whose professional backgrounds will fill the employer’s talent gaps. The Talent Catalog has more than 40,000 profiles of refugees and other displaced people around the world.

Raj Burman, CEO of Techfugees said: “In an increasingly digital and climate stricken world, global catalytic events are forcing millions from their homes. Now is the time to realise the skills potential of those migrating, and guide them towards betterment and integration into society. In so doing, their digital skills can empower businesses and help host countries to increase educational opportunities, grow economies and improve societies. Together with the tech sector and international governments, the Techfugees’ and Talent Beyond Boundaries partnership will have a lasting and hugely positive impact”.

Patrick O’Leary, Talent Beyond Boundaries’ Global Program Director said: “We work to break down the barriers faced by refugees as they seek to find skilled employment. We are showing governments and businesses that obstacles can be overcome – by unlocking individual potential we can unleash business potential. Our partnership with Techfugees is creating a scalable model that will bring refugees and displaced people access to employment, allow them to gain regular status and help them to find a place of safety .”

Talent Beyond Boundaries and Techfugees can work with tech businesses to identify the right opportunities. Here’s where to start:

• Donate– invest in Techfugees and Talent Beyond Boundaries who are upskilling displaced talent, building inclusive tech solutions, and promoting the rights of displaced people.
• Hire refugees– leverage a new recruitment channel and offer tech roles to unlock refugee potential.