Refugees are being offered a new support system to help them into employment opportunities in Melbourne’s south-eastern suburbs.
An innovative new employment initiative aims to support professionally and technically qualified refugees and migrants into jobs that match their skills.
The initiative, known as ‘Settling Into Work’ (SIW) was launched by Victoria’s Minister for Training and Skills and Higher Education The Hon. Gayle Tierney.
She said ‘Settling Into Work’ (SIW) is a new social enterprise which aims to match skilled migrants and refugees with employers looking for skilled and experienced staff.
Created by migrant and refugee settlement agency AMES Australia, SIW aims to help employers understand the unique expertise, resilience and value – forged through their refugee and migrant journeys – which new arrivals bring to the workplace.
SIW also aims to support newly arrived migrants and refugees to overcome the considerable barriers they face in re-establishing professional careers in Australia.
The scheme will focus primarily on Melbourne’s outer south-eastern, western and northern suburbs that are home to large populations of migrants and refugees.
Migrant business improvement professional Vishal Sharma said receiving guidance and support about Australia’s job market workplace culture was crucial to him being able to re-establish his career in Australia.
“When I arrived in Australia I was confused about how to go about getting a job in Australia. I was being rejected in job application after job application. I applied for about 150 jobs in the first few months,” he said.
Since being connected with AMES through the Skilled Professional Migrant Program Mr. Sharma was able to find a first job in Australia, and since then has progressed into more senior jobs.
For migrant and refugee jobseekers, SIW offers tailored job search assistance, career guidance and post-placement support to ensure candidates are well-prepared to succeed in their new jobs.
AMES Australia CEO Cath Scarth said SIW is a game changer when it comes to employment outcomes for professionally qualified refugees and migrants.
“SIW is a genuine and calculated initiative to help match sympathetic and agile employers with newly arrived migrants and refugees starting their journey in the Australian workforce in roles and in organisations that match their ability and ambition,” she said.
Ms Scarth said a key element to the initiative is that it’s a certified social enterprise, so it’s here to make a difference, not just a profit.
“We’ve all heard the stories of migrant and refugee surgeons, engineers and architects driving taxis. SIW is a response to this egregious waste of talent. It will provide benefits for individual migrant and refugees candidates but also for the broader Australian economy,” she said.
Minister Tierney said they are proud to support AMES and the critical work they do in delivering accredited and pre-accredited training opportunities for their community.
“This work continues to make a positive difference to people across the state and has vital social, cultural and economic benefits to Victoria,” she said
The initiative is expected to increase employment opportunities for refugee and migrant workers across the state.
