Trying to find work in a new country without speaking English

For many people arriving in the UK, English language skills are the gateway to employment. Without coordinated support, learners can easily fall between services, delaying or preventing their ability to enter the workforce.

Key points:

  • English is a gateway skill for employment
  • Learners can easily fall between systems
  • Joined-up support keeps people moving forward

Evidence content

For many learners new to the UK, the challenge is not just learning English – it is staying connected to support while their circumstances change.

Camden’s approach focuses on maintaining continuity. Through the ESOL Advice Service, learners are tracked across changes in immigration status, housing and borough, reducing the risk of them being lost between services.

This includes working across multiple agencies – including Jobcentre Plus and Good Work Camden – to ensure learners can access ESOL as a key employability skill.

The experience of one learner, “L”, illustrates both the risks and the impact of this approach.

L arrived in the UK in September 2025 as an asylum seeker, with very low levels of English. L registered with Camden’s ESOL Advice Service (EAS) in October 2025, with support from an interpreter. The ESOL Advice Service provides a single point of contact, helping assess needs and connect learners to appropriate provision.

Over the following months, L’s circumstances changed several times. A change in immigration status led to a move out of temporary accommodation and out of borough. At different points, L faced ineligibility for free provision, limited course availability and waiting lists for college places.

At each stage, there was a risk of disengagement.

  • L registered with Camden’s ESOL Advice Service (EAS) in October 2025 with support from an interpreter.
  • After a change in immigration status, L was required to leave accommodation and moved out of borough.
  • L returned via Jobcentre Plus in December 2025 and was offered a college placement, but was placed on a waiting list.
  • When the course became unavailable, L re-engaged again in January 2026 and accepted a community-based ESOL class.

What prevented this learner from being lost was consistent coordination. The ESOL Advice Service maintained oversight, keeping L within a single system and enabling re-engagement as circumstances changed.

This coordinated approach allowed L to be placed on a suitable ESOL course at Euston Skills Centre, with the aim of developing the language skills needed to move into employment.

This example highlights a broader system benefit. A single point of contact for ESOL and employability services helps maintain a pipeline of learners, improving progression and reducing duplication across services.

By tracking learners and working across agencies, this model supports more efficient use of provision and strengthens the link between language learning and employment outcomes.

London Borough of Camden

Camden Adult Community Learning (CACL) sits within the Education and Inclusion Directorate of the London Borough of Camden and is closely integrated into council services through direct local authority investment. Other than the council, the service is commissioned by the GLA under its ASF stream to deliver mostly Entry Level and non-accredited courses. 

  • Delivery is entirely through outreach and partnership
  • The service supports more than 2000 adults through a curriculum and advice offer shaped by local economic and social need
  • Delivery via a range of academic departments including Family Learning, Essential Skills, Community Development, Health and Well Being, a Youth Employment Scheme (Targeting violence reduction) and sub-contracted Vocational courses
  • One stop shop for adults in need of ESOL via Camden and Islington ESOL Advice Service, accessed by Job Centres and other agencies
Discover Camden

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