not only supported her cost of living in a mega-city but also exposed her to the daily lives of migrants and the stratification of the society that she lived in. Having met many willing, talented and courageous individuals in jobs not matching their experience or education, she started to comprehend the key barriers that faced skilled migrants who were not educated in the United Kingdom and lacked professional networks.
Upon completing her studies Paulina joined the corporate world of investment banking and consulting, which eventually led her to working for organisations that were more values and mission-driven. In October 2013, Paulina became an On Purpose Fellow and from early 2014 she started to work with a group of likeminded professionals to develop Onpartu, a programme that aims to enable talented immigrant women from Central Eastern European countries to fulfil their employment potential in the United Kingdom.
The idea was initiated by Paulina Polak who left her native Poland at the age of 16 to attain her secondary education, initially in Potsdam, Germany and then in Oxford, United Kingdom. While pursuing her BA in Economics at University College London, she became particularly interested in issues related to unemployment, inequality and poverty.
Her academic understandingof underemployment was widened
through hands-on part-time jobs in catering and hospitality that
Who is Onpartu?
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