250 Ukrainian refugees secure jobs at Pret

Pret A Manger has hired 250 Ukrainian refugees as part of its employment programme set up to support people fleeing the war.

Launched in April 2022, Pret’s Ukraine Employment Programme offers refugees arriving in the UK job opportunities at Pret shops through its charity arm, The Pret Foundation. The vast majority of those employed on the programme are women whose partners and families have stayed in Ukraine, some to fight in the war and others because they are unable to flee the country, report Pret.

In less than a year, several of the women have progressed to roles such as chefs, baristas and front-of-house staff serving Pret’s freshly made food and organic coffee to customers at over 100 shops across the country. Some have already risen to become kitchen and front-of-house team leaders, while two will be starting an assistant manager course this year.

Alongside employment, the programme provides a variety of additional support to help refugees find their feet and settle into their new jobs at Pret. This includes help with travel costs to and from work and vouchers to buy household items, plus one-to-one counselling. English language tuition is also available, as is support with finding accommodation through The Pret Foundation’s network of charity partners.

The programme is led by Viktoria Bertics, a Ukrainian general manager who has worked at Pret for 17 years and previously managed several different shops both in the West End and City of London. When war broke out in her home country, she immediately wanted to help and was seconded from her role at Pret High Holborn to head up the project.

“I’m extremely proud of every single person on the programme and the feedback from shop managers has been fantastic – a testament to the Ukrainians’ hard work and dedication in the most difficult circumstances imaginable,” said Viktoria Bertics.

“While they are enjoying their new jobs and feel grateful for the opportunity Pret has given them, it’s becoming much harder to cope with being away from their partners and families, many of whom stayed to fight in Ukraine or couldn’t leave. As the war goes on, we will continue supporting them in every way possible.”