Pledging to hire Venezuelan migrants in Colombia
- The Tent Partnership for Refugees has galvanized support for refugees from more than 200 businesses around the world, including Luker Chocolate.
- As part of its diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives Luker Chocolate will hire Venezuelan migrants into its workforce to join their production plant, committing to an inclusive workplace
March 28, 2022: Luker Chocolate, has today joined the Tent Partnership for Refugees (Tent), a global business network of more than 200 major companies around the world committed to supporting refugees, including by hiring and training them.
With more than six million Venezuelans having fled their country since 2018, neighboring countries in Latin America have gone to great lengths to help Venezuelan migrants economically integrate; yet unemployment among Venezuelans remains exceptionally high. In Colombia, where over 1.8 million Venezuelans have resettled, they face an unemployment rate of 24% as compared to their Colombian counterparts.
Our chocolate business will be always a tool for change
There is a need and an opportunity for businesses to help refugees integrate as they start their new lives in Colombia. Luker Chocolate will welcome and include Venezuelan migrants in its chocolate production plant to promote diversity and inclusion amongst employees. Alongside this, Luker’s commitment will also involve making sure Venezuelans receive equitable opportunities to participate in the wider hiring process.
With the offer of specific job positions and ensuring equity in its hiring practices, Luker expects to welcome new hires on April 2022. Collectively, this initiative will support Luker’s wider diversity and inclusion strategy, and long-term vision to create shared value at origin.
Strengthening diversity and inclusion for the chocolate industry
Laura Cano, Luker Chocolate’s Director of Culture said: “At Luker Chocolate we truly believe that a world with diversity and inclusion is a better place. It is also what makes a difference in a winning culture. For that reason, we are happy to announce our partnership with Tent. It will empower our vision and purpose to work collectively and make the world a better place. We have been actively working with our collaborators and leaders in the diversity and inclusion plan and now we are ready to start this journey in April.”
Noni Rossini, Acting Executive Director at Tent, said: “Luker Chocolate is stepping up for refugees at such a critical time, and we are thrilled to welcome them to the Tent Partnership. By hiring refugees, Luker will not only build a more diverse and inclusive workforce, but it will also gain incredibly hard-working and loyal employees. We’re so proud of the company’s leadership on this effort.”
For more information about the Tent Partnership for Refugees, and its member companies, visit tent official site here.
About the Tent Partnership for Refugees
With more and more refugees displaced for longer periods of time, businesses have a critical role to play in helping refugees integrate economically in their new host communities. The Tent Partnership for Refugees mobilizes the global business community to improve the lives and livelihoods of more than 30million refugees who have been forcibly displaced from their home countries. Founded by Chobani’s founder and CEO Hamdi Ulukaya in 2016, we are a network of over 200 major companies committed to including refugees. Tent believes that companies can most sustainably support refugees by leveraging their core business operations -by engaging refugees as potential employees, entrepreneurs, and consumers. The full list of Tent members can be found here. Find out more at www.tent.org.