Ikea is Combatting the Australian Labour Shortage and Giving Refugees a Leg Up

As the global labour shortage in industries such as hospitality and retail continue, Ikea Australia has come up with a unique strategy to encourage more workers to take up positions at the famous Swedish furniture store.

The IKEA Australia Skills for Employment program is helping people who, for whatever reason, don’t have the skills necessary to enter the Australian workforce to get trained up and find long-lasting and fulfilling roles at one of its many iconic blue and yellow locations.

Refugees fleeing war and/or persecution can particularly benefit from Ikea’s program as they often find their qualifications and skills are not recognised, have limited knowledge of the local job market, no networks to connect them with jobs, and can often find themselves facing discrimination when looking for work.

As an Afghan living in Iran, 21-year-old Zeynab faced discrimination and didn’t have a right to the same education, health care and employment opportunities as Iranian citizens. After resettling in Australia, she entered the Ikea program and now works as a Logistics Co-worker at IKEA Adelaide and is undertaking a course to prepare for future university study -an opportunity she could never have had in Iran.