The refugee integration project, ‘Building Skills Together’, was a New Scots Refugee Integration Delivery Project that helped skilled refugees gain the certification they need to work in the construction industry.

This project aimed to address the barriers that skilled refugees arriving in Scotland face in accessing careers in construction, enhance their employability and allow them to move from benefits into meaningful employment. The project team produced two high-quality training courses and have demystified the process around construction industry certification for those working with New Scots.

Seven pilot projects were carried out in Fife, Dundee, Clackmannanshire and via online to test out the materials with 50 skilled refugees from Syria, Ethiopia, Ukraine, Hong Kong, Afghanistan, Turkey and Yemen. A total of 41 people gained Health and Safety certification and 8 people were able to gain CSCS Green Operative Cards enabling them to work on UK building sites.

The resources developed are now available free of charge to those working with New Scots and other adult learners to help them certify their skills to work in the UK construction industry and promote their wider integration.

Congratulating the partnership, council leader David Ross said: “The COSLA awards celebrate the most innovative work that is helping to make Scotland’s communities better and fairer places.

“The recognition for this partnership project, and the outcomes it has achieved in helping refugees to certify their skills and promote their wider integration, is very well deserved.”