Quick Guide to Apprenticeship Funding for Businesses

Apprenticeships for UK Businesses

Reading Time: 3 minutes    By Zoe Allen, Sona Circle In the UK, the government provides a huge amount of funding and incentives for businesses to encourage them to hire apprentices. For larger businesses, this includes the apprenticeship levy scheme. If your business if not yet taking advantage of this, then read on to learn more about the […]

Refugees in Business and Entrepreneurship

Refugee Business Entrepreneurship

Reading Time: 3 minutes    by Katy Cottrell, Sona Circle Historically, refugees have had great success in business and entrepreneurship around the world. From Michael Marks, a Jewish refugee who became the co-founder of Marks and Spencers in 1884, to Jan Koum who fled to the United States from Kiev and later became the co-founder and CEO of […]

5 Great Initiatives Supporting Refugee Integration in the UK

Refugee Intergration

Reading Time: 3 minutes    by Katie McAdam, Sona Circle Settling into a new country can be very daunting for many refugees. Language barriers, new cultures and lack of social connections make integration a difficult process. Integration is vital not only for improving local community relationships but also for reducing the problem of social isolation among refugees. Those […]

Germany’s Progressive Approach to Refugees and Asylum Seekers

Reading Time: 3 minutes    by David Cregan, Sona Circle To understand Germany’s current policy on refugees and asylum seekers, you need to revisit the post Second World War period, 1945-1960. This 15 year period transformed a destroyed West Germany into its current economic powerhouse that we know today. There was a significant movement of refugees back to […]

Refugees Impact on the Tech Industry

Reading Time: 3 minutes  by Katie McAdam, Sona Circle In the 21st century, technology is present in all facets of our lives. The tech industry has become one of the most lucrative sectors in our economy and is home to some of the world’s most successful firms. From Silicon Valley to bedroom studios, refugees have and continue to […]

Are Refugees and Asylum Seekers’ Allowed to Work in the UK?

Reading Time: 3 minutes    by Katy Cottrell, Sona Circle The terms ‘refugee’ and ‘asylum seeker’ are often confused by many people and have incorrectly been used interchangeably. Though to many people, these terms may seem like they mean the same thing, there are important distinctions between refugees and asylum seekers which have implications for their legal right […]

Refugees in Entertainment

Statue of refugee, Freddie Mercury in Switzerland

Reading Time: 3 minutes    Katie McAdam, Sona Circle In 1969 Farrokh Bulsara fled Zanzibar, (modern-day Tanzania) due to the ensuing genocide of Arab and South Asian minorities. With a great songwriting talent and an impressive vocal range, he dreamed of stardom. After joining the band Queen, he changed his name and then changed the history of rock […]

6 Ways to Convince your Employer to Hire Refugees

Reading Time: 2 minutes    By Katy Cottrell, Sona Circle If you feel passionately about workplace equality and the social integration of refugees, addressing a lack of diversity in your own workspace is a great place to start. But having these types of conversations with your employers can be difficult, which is why we have created a list […]

Race Discrimination in the Workplace

Reading Time: 3 minutes  By Katy Cottrell, Sona Circle Why NOW is the time to act Last week George Floyd became another victim of police brutality towards unarmed black people, when he was killed at the scene of his arrest for an alleged forged cheque. This violent and tragic event has understandably caused widespread heartbreak and anger, and […]