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How Ukrainian Olha and Natalia got to work at H. Daugaard's warehouse
When Per, H. Daugaard's warehouse foreman in Vamdrup, received a call with a request from Kira, an integration consultant at Kolding Job Center, Per had no doubt that H. Daugaard would help.
The inquiry was whether we at H. Daugaard had work for two women, Olha and Natalia, who had fled to Denmark from the war in Ukraine.
Olha came to Denmark in March 2022 and Natalia in June 2022, and they have longed to start working to get a normal everyday life where they earn their own money. And now Olha and Natalia are working at H. Daugaard's warehouse in Vamdrup as interns, labeling goods in H. Daugaard's warehouse.
Escaped from Ukraine
It all sounds straightforward. But it hasn't been for Olha and Natalia. They both come from an area of Ukraine that was occupied by Russia, from which they had to flee. They had to pack what they could carry - leaving most of their belongings behind - and travel to a country where they don't speak the language or have a network.
Fortunately, they have been well received in Denmark - here it is the integration consultant Kira who is responsible for ensuring that the Ukrainians who come to Kolding can be established in Denmark in the best possible way. This includes establishing a home, bank account, language school and work. The aim is for the Ukrainians to integrate and become self-sufficient as quickly as possible - but this requires the right help and support. For example, it's not easy to get a job in a Danish company when you can only speak Ukrainian or Russian.
Collaboration that makes a difference
In Ukraine, Olha worked in the finance department of a hospital and Natalia as a shop assistant in a food store. The two women got to know each other at language school in Denmark - and now work together at H. Daugaard.
Although working at H. Daugaard is a far cry from what they used to do in Ukraine, both Olha and Natalia are very satisfied with their work. The biggest challenge is the language barrier - Olha and Natalia understand more Danish than they speak - but they have found a solution to that too. Warehouse foreman Per has downloaded an app that can automatically translate Ukrainian into Danish and vice versa. And for more serious conversations, integration consultant Kira is available with an interpreter.
The above is a success due to the interaction between the companies and Kolding Municipality. We as a company provide the work and Kolding Municipality provides the tools required for the employees and the organization to have a good experience - such as an interpreter.
Kira says that they've gotten 71% in work in a year - so it works really well overall.
We hope we can offer Olha and Natalia a permanent position in the future - because they are doing great.
