"Finding work is easy in the Netherlands. Finding work that really suits you is not"

Lesya (44) from Kyiv found a training course as a painter. 'It makes me very happy. This is my job as well as my hobby!' Shortly after the Russian invasion, she fled the country with her daughters (24 and 22). Eventually they ended up in Amsterdam where Lesya is now living in a Ukraine reception centre. Work is important to her. "I do not want to sit at home on the couch. That is not good for my head."

Lesya quickly went to work as a cleaner in the Netherlands, learning Dutch and English at the same time. The former accountancy employee loves painting and baking and definitely did not want to sit behind a desk all day anymore. Now she works two days a week at a company that makes sandwiches and does this painting course for two days. At one she learns Dutch better and at the other she learns a trade.

Lesya did not immediately succeed in finding a placement and work that suited her. She got help with this from Loes from VluchtelingenWerk Nederland (VWN). Loes helps people who have fled from Ukraine to find work that makes them happy for a long time. And a job that fits within the laws and regulations."The search for a suitable job is quite a process and a first job is often not the end point." 

Before starting painting school, Lesya worked briefly at another, small painting company. The language and lack of knowledge about the work was a stumbling block then. "But we keep thinking," says Loes. "We look at placements, work experience, language level, interests and motivations." She found a place for Lesya to learn the painting trade. In a large warehouse in an Amsterdam industrial area, Lesya is now receiving the guidance from Henk that she needs to eventually start working as a painter.

And so now Lesya is sanding the woodwork in the shed with a happy face. Her supervisor Henk says he sees how driven she is. "Lesya is very eager to get started. We teach her here about the basic techniques of sanding, painting and the different kinds of paint. This takes some time, but after that we definitely see her working at a painting company soon." 

Lesya herself is especially happy to be able to work with her hands and be physically active all day. "By doing this well and being in work soon, I also want to thank the people in the Netherlands for taking care of us here. I do not yet know where I want to go when the war is over, but at least I can use my new knowledge to help rebuild Kyiv. There is a lot to fix. And I can contribute to that now!"

Would you also like help finding work that suits you? Read our tips here.

Do you find it difficult to find a job that suits you? For example, because you do not speak Dutch or English well or do not yet have a network in the Netherlands. Get in touch with your contact person at VWN and ask if you can get help finding a job.