MercyCare Complementary Services client, Rabar, was interviewed by the ABC recently to share his experience as an overseas migrant looking for work. Despite his qualifications and many years of experience – not to mention his outstanding English language proficiency – Rabar has been unable to find meaningful work in his specialist field since arriving in Australia almost two years ago.
Currently, Rabar is doing rideshare work to cover his family’s living expenses.
“Many asylum seekers have to fend for themselves while waiting for their asylum claim decision but face great challenges in finding paid work as they often do not have work experience in Australia, no local references and no networks to assist them in finding a job,” MercyCare Complementary Services Lead Teri O’Toole said.
“MercyCare identified this as a priority area for support in 2018 when we discovered that no other services in WA were providing employment support to this cohort of people, making them extremely vulnerable.
“Our Complementary Services program was established to fill this gap, providing practical employment support to jobseekers and linking them to other support services such as CARAD who can provide financial support while they look for employment.
“Around 170 asylum seekers have received support through our Complementary Services program since it was established, with a third of those now in paid employment.
“We encourage more WA employers to get in touch to explore our highly-skilled talent pool and discuss becoming a partner of the Unity Employment Network, which links employers with skilled migrant workers. This would be of particular interest to businesses that are committed to creating diverse and inclusive workplaces, and need reliable, talented and enthusiastic workers,” Teri said.
To learn more about MercyCare’s Complementary Services program or to enquire about becoming an employment partner through the Unity Employment Network, go to: https://www.mercycare.com.au/youth-family-and-support/multicultural-support-services/intensive-employment-support
To read more of Rabar’s experience on the ABC website, click here.
