The prefect of Drôme took stock: 705 displaced Ukrainians currently reside in the department. Among them, just under 40% are minors. The others, mostly of working age, have almost all obtained their residence permits (93%), which also allows them to have a job in France. Beginning of July, only 89 managed to get a job.
The language barrier
Ola, 38, has become a vaccination mediator against the covid for the antenna of the Red Cross in Romans. Arrived in France at the beginning of March, she was first a volunteer, and her involvement was noticed. She was a physiotherapist in kyiv. But his best asset is to have learned French at school. Of the twenty adults who frequent the Roman offices of the Red Cross, only five have work. “And we’re not going to lie to each other, the problem is the language barrier” says Régis Joly, the manager.
We will support them as much as possible in learning French. There is Pôle Emploi and other associations that also deal with it – Régis Joly, head of the Red Cross in Romans
Without speaking French, some still find a small job, with more or less simple and repetitive tasks. But it’s not ideal for Régis Joly: “No one is reluctant to work. But we still have a marketing director who does housework in a company. There are no small jobs, but these are people who had a good situation, the ideal would be to find equivalences.
In Portes-lès-Valence, Vita confirms. She was a secretary at a college in kyiv. She landed a job as a maid in a hotel in the Valencia area. She wants to quickly learn the language to change jobs.
Positions without equivalences
Beyond the language barrier, Ukrainian diplomas are not automatically recognized in Francewhich makes it difficult to find a job equivalent to that which a displaced person could hold in Ukraine. Katya, 26, was a nurse in kyiv in a private clinic. Arrived in Portes-lès-Valence, the family who welcomes him knocks on the door of the EHPAD des Chênes, which seeks to recruit. Katya is received for an interview. “They asked me questions about my work in Ukraine, if it was the same as here” says Katya, “and in fact, yes it’s fine”. Problem : the nursing diploma she holds is not valid in France.
For us who are in shortage of nursing staff, I saw an opportunity for her and for us – Julien Chalamet, the director of the EHPAD les Chênes in Portes-lès-Valence
“I saw with the Regional Health Agency this diploma problem, and I was able to hire him as a caregiver” explains Julien Chalamet, director of the Les Chênes retirement home, “but I positioned her as an integral part of the nursing team. It’s an advantage for the organization.”. By mutual agreement, the young woman has signed fixed-term contracts since April, renewable. The director of the establishment now pushes her to graduate in France. Katya is up for it.
In the agglomeration of Montélimar, Anna Dopora and her association A hand for tomorrow provides assistance to approximately 80 displaced Ukrainians. Ukrainian herself, in Drôme for a few years, she explains that only about fifteen have found work, often below their level of competence.
For them, it’s complicated. Imagine if you had to start your life over at zero level – Anna Dopora, from the association A hand for tomorrow in the Montélimar agglo
“In a nougaterie, in catering, in construction, or even seasonal workers… it’s a temporary solution. The people who came to Ukraine are quality managers, managers, salespeople. For them it is complicated. So, of course, it’s good to work and feed their families, but people try to get a better job” Anna explains. By insisting again on the importance of language courses for the displaced.