RAGU is a specialist Unit located within the University of North London's Centre for Higher Education and Access Development (HEAD) to provide advice, guidance and training for refugees with higher level qualifications. RAGU's clients have a wide range of backgrounds and include teachers, doctors, nurses, engineers, accountants, managers, entreprenuers and community workers.
Established in 1995, RAGU finances its work through a number of sources including North London and Focus Central TECs, EU funded programmes (eg Leonardo, ESF, Objective 2, Integra, Socrates) and support from the University. RAGU has close working and partnership relations with many organisations in the refugee field including World University Students, Refugee Council, Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants, Refugee Women's Association, Islington and Hackney Refugee Training Partnership, and Central London Advisory Service.
RAGU's approach to refugees' training and employment needs is holistic and innovative - (the Unit was winner of the 1997 Adult Learning Award for Progression in Higher Education). It offers clients a range of services through a staged process of ongoing support to empower refugees to effectively manage their current circumstances and future endeavours. Elements in the services they offer include job search, specialist vocational advice and guidance, language support, personal development, management skills, awareness raising of the UK education system, work enviromnents and culture, equal opportunities, and APEL (Accreditation of Prior Experience and Learning). These elements can be tailored to suit a client's individual needs.
RAGU runs a number of different training programmes throughout the year :
APEL (Accreditation of Prior Experience and Learning) programmes (12 weeks)
PAVE-IT (Professional And Vocational English and IT) (12 weeks)
NVQ in Advice Work (level 3) (12 weeks)
Intro to Management Skills (2 weeks)
Key Skills and Environment training programme (for unemployed graduate refugees this has 12 weeks training followed by a 40 week salaried work placement)
RAGU is also successful at working transnationally with its partners in Greece and Holland. Currently they are involved in a European research project which will result in a Directory of Refugee Agencies, and a Best Practice Guide for agencies in the field.