Supporting Refugees to develop Enterprise & Entrepreneurial Skills - a case study from NTU Enterpries in Refugee Programme 2024 (QAA 1, 2,3,4,5,6) #FEEUK

Group Size ? 1.) Small group (teams of 4-6)
2.) Individual Task
3.) Large Group
4.) Any
Large Group

Learning Environment ? 1.) Lecture Theatre
2.) Presentation Space
3.) Carousel Tables (small working group)
4.) Any
5.) Outside
6.) Special
Presentation Space, Carousel Tables (small working group)

QAA Enterprise Theme(s) ? 1.) Creativity and Innovation
2.) Opportunity recognition, creation and evaluation
3.) Decision making supported by critical analysis and judgement
4.) Implementation of ideas through leadership and management
5.) Reflection and Action
6.) Interpersonal Skills
7.) Communication and Strategy
1Creativity and Innovation 2Opportunity recognition‚ creation and evaluation 3Decision making supported by critical analysis and judgement 4Implementation of ideas through leadership and management 5Reflection and Action 6Interpersonal Skills

Objective:

To share experience and practice of running a programme to support entrepreneurial refugees so enterprise colleagues from other institutions can learn from the experience at Nottingham Trent University.
This a case study/toolkit is intended to provide insights around the scope, impact and need for training programmes to support refugee communities.

Overview:

The programme provides simple tools to help refugees navigate the complexities of starting a business in the UK.
Participants may have been self-employed in their home countries, so may already have skills, knowledge and expertise.
Group of 15 refugees recruited via a partner organisation (at NTU we worked with Nottingham & Nottinghamshire Refugee Forum).
Information on background, experience, business idea provided in advance.
Weekly workshops over 8 weeks.
Celebration event follows in week 9 which includes presentations of certificates to mark completion of the programme – important to celebrate successes!
Suggest 30-minutegroup lunch followed by 2-hour workshop each week.
1:1s with participants who want support to take their ideas to next stage can be offered.
Participants are likely to be from Middle Eastern countries – Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Syria, and be in the UK through a resettlement scheme.
Important to be mindful of why refugees are in the UK and to respect personal circumstances.
Helpful if you can work with a partner organisation (we were supported by Nottingham & Nottinghamshire Refugee Forum). They provided an experienced employability worker who came each week and supported thegroup – wrap around support often needed due to issues that may arise related to participants circumstances.
Interpreters in various languages may be required – e.g. Farsi, Arabic, Pashto.
Programme design must be flexible, responsive and adaptive. Highly bespoke design needed to tailor to the group’s needs, Materials should be accessible and able to be translated in relevant languages
Important to develop rapport with interpreters – providing materials in advance so can be translated if needed.
Pace must be slow and simple.
Provide case study examples of refugee businesses – we invited someone from the previous programme to come and talk. Proved to be a valuable Q&A.
Sessions covered start-up topics such as: idea generation, value proposition, business registration, elevator pitch, resilience, customers, marketing, funding.
Follow up after programme (3-6 months) to assess if entrepreneurial skills used in a job or business context.
Communication via WhatApp to the group – not keen on email. Translate messages.
Be mindful that participants may not want (or be allowed) to have photos taken due to circumstances of resettlement in UK

Activity:(Potentially long – if including timings; approach; extensions; assessment; options for delivery)

Activities to be as fun and interactive as possible. Participants will respond better if they are engaged and enjoying themselves – more likely to learn. Lots of examples and images.
All activities group based – important to engender a sense of community within in the group.
Cultural differences may mean that men and women naturally sit separately, but mixing up the dynamic is a good way of developing connection between participants.

Skill Development:(short – focus on reflection; review; feedback; learning)

Focus on development of key business skills
Understanding basics of starting a business – how to do it legally in the UK
Reflection and review throughout sessions – pausing to check understanding.
Time for discussion and questioning

Resources:

Interpreters in relevant languages
Room set out in cabaret style with digital projection facilities and whiteboards
A space where participants can stand openly to do a group exercise
PowerPoint presentation (for each session) outlining key activities aligned to business start-up topics
Note pads and pens for participants to make their own notes
Post-its
White Board pens
Refreshments and lunch supported a community atmosphere (all food Halal)
Workshop aids included Emoji cards (used in week one to demonstrate how they were feeling), visual coaching cards, Jelly Baby Treecoaching handout.

References:

Nottingham Trent University, NTU Enterprise

The Dryden Enterprise Centre

Other useful information and resources:

Centre for Entrepreneurs, UK refugee entrepreneurship pilot scheme
EEUK Case Study: Greenwich, Facilitating Entrepreneurship: Refugees and Migrants
Impact, Entrepreneurship And Empowerment - How Business Schools Are Helping Refugees
Transforming from Refugees to Entrepreneurs in Britain: https://www.ejbmr.org/index.php/ejbmr/article/view/649
University of Leeds, A Better Future? Understanding Refugee Entrepreneurship
Refugee Entrepreneurship Network
TERN, supporting refugees to start their own business.

About the Author
This guide was produced by Jane Brown (Enterprise Advisor, Nottingham Trent University).