Around 200 Ukrainians have registered with the National Employment Agency (ADEM) and are looking for work here in Luxembourg.
Monica Camposeo of RTL spoke with two Ukrainians currently looking for work with the help of ADEM.
Vladimir Kozyrev is a professional trader who has years of experience in banks in the United States, Chile and Ukraine. He now hopes to continue working in the financial sector here in Luxembourg. He has already submitted 60 applications this month and is optimistic that his English skills will be sufficient to work in the financial sector.
Mario della Schiava of ADEM, in charge of applications, underlined that the language barrier should not be underestimated. About 50% of Ukrainians registered with ADEM speak English. In order to help those who only speak Ukrainian or Russian, the Agency relies on consultants.
Another hurdle in the process is that degrees must be certified before people can work in their respective areas of expertise. 70% of the 200 Ukrainians registered with ADEM have a university degree, noted della Schiava.
Olga Pavlyuk worked in marketing and would have liked to continue in this sector here in Luxembourg. However, she does not know enough about the local market and has therefore chosen to look for other jobs in the meantime.
She explained: “Finding a job is the first step for me. I lost everything and I have to start all over again. I lost my business, my home and my health due to stress. That’s why I now need a job, no. whatever it is.”
Since the arrival of the first Ukrainians in Luxembourg, several local companies have offered positions to ADEM, explains Laurent Peusch, head of services for employers. Finance, IT and gastronomy are the sectors most in demand.
ADEM officials stressed that each candidate is treated on an equal footing, each having access to language courses and training. Vladimir and Olga have already accepted the offer, as they expect to stay in the Grand Duchy for a long time.
“It will definitely help me to learn French and Luxembourgish. Yesterday I had my first French lessons at the University of Belval,” explained Vladimir.
Olga is also determined to build a new life in Luxembourg: “I am sure that things will not change in my country, they can only get worse. It will take a long time to rebuild everything that has been destroyed.”