New initiative to help employment praised
Wednesday, 20 February 2008
The Parliamentary Secretary for Multicultural Affairs and Settlement Services, Laurie Ferguson, today congratulated two of Australia's settlement service providers for taking the initiative in preparing newly arrived refugees and migrants for the workforce. ‘This is essential in building the base for a successful life in Australia,’ Mr Ferguson said.
Mr Ferguson acknowledged the excellent work of ACL New South Wales and the Adult Multicultural Education Services (AMES), in better equipping new arrivals to find work by providing preparation courses in two areas confronting skills shortages.
Students taking English classes at the ACL College in Fairfield in Sydney can study an Occupational Health and Safety and forklift preparation course or a basic computer course.
‘This new initiative is an excellent example of how English-language programs will increasingly need to be designed to prepare people for the workforce,’ Mr Ferguson said.
‘Clients facing barriers to employment need as much help as possible and programs like this will help achieve successful settlement outcomes. Whether it's a lack of Australian workforce experience, recognition of qualifications or other impediments, new arrivals face clear challenges which we need to minimise.’
Mr Ferguson said partnerships between English language and employment service providers will help humanitarian entrants and migrants to attain their goal of successful settlement.
‘Language skills are essential in order to be competitive on the employment market,’ the Parliamentary Secretary said.
‘The future of our newly arrived migrants and refugees depends largely on the cooperation of our funded settlement service providers.
‘The fact that many of these students have gained employment and attended job interviews shows how successful these kinds of partnerships can be. I hope to see many more examples like this in the future,’ Mr Ferguson added.
Media contact: Khaldoun Hajaj - 0404 078 692
URL: http://www.minister.immi.gov.au
/parlsec/media/media-releases/2008/lf08006.htm
Last update: 13 August 2008 at 17:14 AEST