Afghan refugee supported into work despite COVID shutdowns

A young AMES Australia refugee client has been supported to secure a job in a laboratory winning out among hundreds of candidates.

Afghan Waris Hasham started work this week after attending an open house at Ortesi, in Keysborough, a laboratory which manufactures 3D orthotics and braces.

Waris, who came to Australia in January under the Humanitarian Settlement Program (HSP) after working as an interpreter with the Australian Defence Force in Afghanistan, was supported AMES Senior Employment Officer Jane Tierney and Case Manager Durkka Jena.

Jane said Waris was referred to AMES Individualised Pathway Plan (IPP) and helped to upskill.

“Waris has some engineering qualifications from overseas and we helped him have these recognised as well as referring him to an IELTS program at AMES Flagstaff,” she said.

“He was chosen from among hundreds of applicants for the job at Ortesi. Many thanks to Durkka for a wonderful collaboration with jobactive services and kudos to Waris who, despite his youth, displayed a professionalism beyond his years.

Waris said he was very happy to have gained a job after using the COVID lockdown period to improve his skills and employability.

“During COVID it was difficult to find work so I tried to make changes to my life and do some study,” Waris said.

“Jane and Durkka helped me a lot and finally I got an interview. Then I got this job as a lab technician,” he said.

 “It’s going well, I like the job and I have nothing to complain about,” Waris said.

The IPP assesses the skills, experience and goals of participants, as well as any barriers to achieving employment. The aim is to provide newly arrived refugee jobseekers with tailored support to assist them on to a pathway to employment or education.

AMES leader appointed to government migration advisory group

AMES Australia’s Skilled Migration Specialist Thanushki Kankanange has been appointed to an important federal government advisory body on migration.

Thanushki will join the Migration Advice Industry Advisory Group established by The Assistant Minister for Customs, Community Safety and Multicultural Affairs, the Hon Jason Wood MP. 

The appointment is a significant achievement and will give AMES Australia a voice in policy deliberations.

Thanushki will bring to bear extensive experience and achievement in the migration field; as well as the value of having lived experience as an international student in Australia.

She also has experience across human rights law, commercial migration, asylum seeker processing, HSP and CSP systems.

“A strong and successful migration program is critical to Australia’s economic future and to maintaining our vibrant multicultural society; and especially as we recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Thanushki said.

“I’m looking forward to being able to contribute all of the expertise and lived experience we have within AMES to inform policy discussions around migration and hopefully deliver better outcomes for migrants and the broader community,” she said.

Sri Lankan by birth, Thanushki says the chaos of the civil war she experienced as a child motivated her to study law – a journey that eventually brought her to Sydney for a Master’s Degree in International Human Rights Law and Policy at UNSW in 2012.

Work readiness program pays dividends for AMES clients

Two AMES Australia clients have recently gained employment in disability services thanks to a CALD work readiness program run in Gippsland in partnership with Melba Services.

Filapina migrant Fe Modaffari, who worked as a primary school teacher in her homeland, recently got a job with disability care provider Melba Support Services after completing the program.

“The program was very helpful. And my supporters at AMES Teresita and Gul were fantastic,” Fe said.

“They helped me overcome my barriers and built trust and confidence in me. They kept following up with me and supported me until I got a Job,” she said.

“I’m very grateful, they were a big help and very kind. It goes to show that no man is an island and we all need support. I received support from AMES and now I can move on and support others ibn my work,” Fe said.

Another AMES Australia migrant client Genet Taye has also gained a job with Melba Support Services.

AMES Australia Employment Liaison Counsellor Gulsom Jaghuri said the CALD Workforce Readiness Program is a Victorian State Government initiative designed to identify and engage CALD community members in the Gippsland area to train and work within the disability care sector.

The program offers: information sessions to raise aware of the National Disability Incentive Scheme (NDIS); how to access the service and employment opportunities in the disability sector; information sessions from NDIS Service providers about the job opportunities in disability, and; tailored employability skills training for CALD jobseekers who want to work in disability.

AMES features in learning festival

AMES Australia is strongly represented in this year’s Wyndham Learning Festival.

AMES is running four events: a pronunciation workshop; a Careers in Caring Services session; a look at the Heartlands exhibition, and; an Author Talk: Refugee Stories, in their own words.

The WLF is an eight day festival of learning that runs annually for people of all ages.

The festival has activities for all ages and interests, promoting lifelong learning for all and welcoming new events, sponsors and participants to reflect this diverse and dynamic learning community.

Previous Learning Festival activities have included cooking, pyrography, craft, hip hop dance, bowling, gardening, painting, cooking, Lego construction, African drumming, creative writing, knitting, Spanish, ceramics, drawing, gaming, music therapy and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).