Through cooperation between public and private employment services, the agency work sector is helping to stem the tide of 400.000 Venezuelan refugees/immigrants entering Chile, keeping them out of the informal labour market.
The challenge
Over the past year, there was a strong influx of about 400.000 refugees/immigrants from Venezuela into Chile, straining the local labour market. This situation creates risks for immigrants to end up in the informal labour market, which - at (a stable) 28% - is relatively low for South America.
Solution
The private employment industry in Chile has demonstrated experience in integrating a significant number of immigrants on the formal labour market. Given this track record and expertise, the sector’s national federation Agest was invited by the state-operated training and employment agency (SENCE) to support the organisation of job fairs and to help structure and streamline the job application process.
Key numbers
400
CVs received specifically from the Venezuelan refugee community
2
% increase in the share of immigrant workers employed by Agest members between 2018 and 2019
Resources
Outcomes
Agest and several of its members participated in Job Fairs to find candidates and supported SENCE in enhancing and improving its activation strategies. The exchange between public and private employment services contributed to mutual learning between employment services’ professionals and showcased how the agency work sector can contribute to labour market functioning and public policy goals.
