Santander United Employees To Impact 130+ Migrants and Refugees in Portugal
August 22, 2023El Corte Inglés, a department store group, joined SPEAK to help integrate migrant women. They created the opportunity for their collaborators to learn more about different backgrounds and cultures.
With SPEAK, they were able to raise awareness for themes related to diversity and inclusion, foster employee growth, contribute towards social inclusion of migrant women, and even offer a job opportunity to one of the beneficiaries who ended up working at El Corte Inglés.
Key Results
108 learning hours facilitated for migrant women
23 participants attended language groups
6 language groups led by El Corte Inglés employees
1 participant started working on El Corte Inglés
Expanding opportunities and building relationships
El Corte Inglés identified the need to create a more inclusive work environment and open opportunities to migrant women. Their goal was to enable team members to come together, build relationships based on understanding and appreciation of different cultures, and create an impact on a vertical that aligned with their organisation’s goals. This project allowed the women to break the language barrier, have a better knowledge of the job market in Portugal. Build relationships of friendship and trust with professionally active and inspiring women who can inspire them to join and remain in the job market.
SPEAK and El Corte Ingles Aid Integration of Migrant Women
El Corte Ingles participated in the SPEAK Enterprise initiative, enabling their staff in Lisbon and Porto to oversee language sessions. These sessions were predominantly attended by migrant women eager to acquire Portuguese language skills to facilitate their assimilation into the country. The program encompassed a combination of virtual and physical meetings, with the in-person gatherings taking place in Lisbon.
The user-friendly system offered by SPEAK made it easy for native-speaking El Corte Ingles employees to connect with learners from various language backgrounds. These El Corte Ingles employees, serving as buddies, assisted participants in navigating language exchange sessions. This not only promoted cross-cultural awareness but also established an inclusive and hospitable atmosphere for everyone involved.
Results
23 Learners Impacted: El Corte Inglés's employees enthusiastically embraced the opportunity to lead language groups for migrant women, with 23 learners actively participating in the language exchange program.
108 Hours of Language Learning Experience: The language groups led by El Corte Inglés employees facilitated a total of 108 hours of language learning experience.
6 Groups Led by Employees: El Corte Inglés had 3 super-engaged employees leading 6 groups. Group participants consisted of migrant women from various backgrounds who were seeking to integrate into Portugal.
1. How has participating in this program impacted you personally?
At El Corte Inglés we are already on the 2nd edition of the SPEAK Project. It has been a journey on a personal level, and as with all journeys, I learn a lot from all the women, their language, culture, customs, so it has a very positive impact and is a huge lesson in humility. All the women have stories to tell, and many of them, unfortunately and compared to mine, are quite difficult, but all this has helped me to look at others with more and more compassion, a genuine interest in knowing and learning from their life stories and, above all, an enormous pleasure in having crossed paths with all these people.
2. What does this experience mean for you as a company?
For El Corte Inglés, a company distinguished for its Diversity and Inclusion practices, this experience is part of our commitment as an Inclusive Employer. It also means that we have experienced what studies in this area tell us; where it is clear that companies gain significantly when they hire people with different ages, cultures and life experiences. Each person brings with them new knowledge about the same area and different ways of doing the same things, which only complements and increases knowledge, also boosting economic development.
Conclusion
El Corte Ingles has prioritised their workforce and given them a great opportunity to improve their Portuguese and to become well-integrated individuals so they can feel at home and enjoy their time at work. This integration specifically means more language skills, knowledge of the job market, and building relationships and trust with other women who can inspire them professionally. Through the SPEAK hub program, these migrant women were embraced by buddies to leave a lasting impact.
