Recruiters claim they need practical guidance from the government so they can find jobs for asylum seekers.

The comments followed a speech on employing asylum seekers by the home secretary David Blunkett (pictured) at a conference organised by the Foreign Policy Centre, the Employability Forum and the Industrial Society.

Tracy Yates, head of recruitment for telecommunications giant One2One, said her company would consider employing asylum seekers but needed further guidance from the government.

She said: ‘We are willing to provide the necessary training and find people jobs, but at the moment we don’t know where or how to get in touch with them.’

Delegates said they were finding it hard to recruit asylum seekers in areas experiencing severe skills shortages, like social services, because the government had not relaxed rules on work permits

David Blunkett highlighted ways to improve integration, including teaching English, training, issuing more work permits and compiling a skills inventory. He called on employers to play their part getting asylum seekers integrated into society, once the regulations are in place.

In a draft paper issued at the conference the Foreign Policy Centre suggested a ‘buddy system’ and proposed adapting language training towards specific employment needs. More importantly, they outlined the need for a clear set of rules for employers on who can work and when.

Although Mr Blunkett did not confirm what measures the government would adopt, it is likely that the nationality and immigration policy, due out in February, will embrace many of those used by countries who have already integrated immigrants successfully, in particular Canada and the Netherlands.