Frequently asked questions

I am an asylum seeker, and I am not allowed to work, can I have a placement?

Yes, we offer those who are waiting to hear about their status a chance to volunteer with voluntary organisations or provide short work shadowing placements, where you learn about a job by working alongside someone who is doing a similar job to which you used to have.

How old do I have to be?

You must be over 16 but there is no upper age limit!

Will I be paid?

No, all of our placements are unpaid due to restrictions and regulations. However you will have your travel paid for and if you need childcare arranged Bridges will pay for that too.

I am allowed to work in the UK, will this mean I get a job at the end of the placement?

There is no obligation for the employer to offer you the chance of employment after a placement. It is designed just to give you valuable experience which you can include in job applications in the future. Employers are more likely to give you interviews if you can show that you have some experience here in the UK. However many Bridges clients do go on and get jobs after being on one of our programmes.

I don't know if my English is good enough?

When we meet you we will spend about an hour asking you questions about yourself so we can decide what sort of help would be best for you. At that time we can make an assessment whether your English is good enough. Anyone studying towards an Intermediate level 1 ESOL qualification should be able to be put on a placement. If we don't think you are ready we will ask you to come back in a few months and after you have had some more English lessons.

How long will it take to get my placement started?

That all depends on what it is you want to do and what opportunities we have from employers. Sometimes it can be arranged within a few weeks, sometimes it takes many months. We will keep you informed about what we are doing.

What do I do to get a placement?

Fill out the registration form and send it into us you will be contacted by one of the team for an informal talk over the telephone. If we think your English is good enough and that we might be able to help you, we will arrange to meet you and ask you about your past experiences and jobs. We will agree an action plan for you and start looking for an employer to offer you a place. If we do not think we can help you we will try and refer you to another agency who might.