MIGRANT AND REFUGEE SETTLEMENT SERVICES OF THE ACT INC.

Patron: Her Excellency Lady Cosgrove

Migrant and Refugee Settlement Services of the ACT Inc. submission to the Standing Committee on Education, Training and Youth Affairs

Authorised by: Dewani Bakkum, CEO.

10/10/2014

INTRODUCTION

Migrant and Refugee Settlement Services of the ACT Inc. (MARSS) assists migrants and refugees to settle into their new life in the ACT and surrounding region. We provide a variety of services to those who have just arrived, through to those who have been in Australia for years but still experience difficulty navigating or accessing government services, education or employment. We strive to see migrants and refugees settled, and becoming an active part of the ACT community.

MARSS thanks the Standing Committee on Education, Training and Youth Affairs for the opportunity to comment on the Committee's inquiry into Vocational Education and Youth Training Programs in the ACT. Our submission is focused on the Committee's fifth term of reference -"provision of vocational education and training to culturally and linguistically diverse students." MARSS has identified 2 main areas within this term of reference that we would like to bring to the attention of the committee.

1. Early intervention during primary and high school education a. Additional support for migrant youth; and b. Presenting vocational and alternative education in a positive light. .

2. Difficulties in obtaining apprenticeships for trade qualifications

Each of these will be discussed in tum below, following which a series of recommendations will be made.

Theo Notaras Multicultural Centre, 2nd Floor, North Build ing, 180 London Circuit Civic, Canberra GPO Box 697, Canberra City, ACT 2601

Tel: 02 6248 8577 I Fax: 02 6257 7655 I Email : marss@marss .org.au I Web: www.marss.org.au

MIGRANT AND REFUGEE SETTLEMENT SERVICES OF THE ACT INC.

Patron: Her Excellency Lady Cosgrove

1. Early intervention during primary and high school education

(a) Additional support for migrant youth

The foundations laid in .school are crucial to students' success in vocational education and training programs. It is vital that CALD youth are provided with the additional assistance necessary to ensure they are not at a disadvantage when they commence vocational education or training.

Through our experiences with newly arrived refugees MARSS has found that the current programs in place in primary schools for newly arrived refugee students are largely successful in providing an English language foundation for engagement in mainstream education. Primary school students participating in these programs grasp English incredibly quickly and adjust to the Australian system with ease.

Migrant students who have arrived in Australia at a high school age are often at a disadvantage to their peers as their parents lack the English language skills and familiarity with the Australian system to assist their children in the home. Additional out of hours school support is of great importance in order to help bridge this gap.

MARSS currently runs a Program for After School Studies (PASS), catering for CALD students from 12-25 years. PASS matches students with suitable tutors, and provides supervision, a safe space for them to meet, and additional support to students and their families. The value of after hours study assistance can be seen in the positive feedback from parents, students, and tutors. Our tutors consistently report noticeable improvements in their students' capabilities. This kind of assistance while students are still in school can prevent a range of learning obstacles when students engage in vocational education and training.

PASS provides 9 hours of face to face tutoring per week. Given the large number of students approaching MARSS for PASS assistance, the time tutors can spend with each student is limited. Students usually require study assistance in several different areas including drafting assignments, understanding and completing homework, and explaining concepts which may not have been fully grasped in class. Recent feedback from our tutors indicates that they would like to be able to spend a greater length of time with their students so as to provide the intensive level of assistance they require.

MARSS has taken initiatives to expand its program to a younger cohort in response to requests from the mothers who recognised their younger children required additional study assistance, and were unable to provide any assistance themselves. MARSS wanted to help these children at a

Theo Notaras Multicultural Centre, 2°d Floor, North Building, 180 London Circuit Civic, Canberra GPO Box 697, Canberra City, ACT 2601

T.el : 02 6248 8577 I Fax: 02 6257 7655 I Email: rilarss@marss .org .au I Web: www.marss.org.au

MIGRANT AND REFUGEE SETTLEMENT SERVICES OF THE ACT INC.

Patron: Her Excellency Lady Cosgrove

younger age, recognising that assistance at a younger age would be more beneficial than waiting until children are 12 and eligible for the PASS program. Through the generous assistance of St . Paul's Church we have been able to provide one hour of tutoring assistance for 30 students aged 8-15 in Belconnen. This additional tutoring has been vital in ensuring that primary school students keep up with their peers and minimising any future disruptions in their school education, vocational education or training. MARSS would like to see this initiative expanded~ and provided in a more sustainable and structured manner.

Recommendation: Given our experiences with the PASS program, MARSS recommends an increase in the amount of tutoring available for CALD students which would have a positive impact on their learning, and contribute to their future engagement and success in vocational education and training.

(b) Presenting vocational and alternative education in a positive light

Many young people and their families come to Australia with high expectations and aspirations for their education and career·. However, after arriving they face many challenges associated with their settlement which may include Torture and Trauma, learning the language, learning to navigate a new system, a sense of dislocation, and a lack of financial resources, among other factors. These impediments make achieving their high aspirations difficult. In light of this, the aspirations families have come to Australia with may be less realistic and vocational education might be a better option for some youth than university education. However, we have found that non-university education is not viewed in a positive light among some cultural groups. Vocational education can be seen by some as a "second-best" option. Moreover, in some countries certain occupations are considered undesirable, and therefore many youth and families may have excluded these as an option. This trend has been observed through our work with migrant families, and was also identified by the Centre for Multicultural Youth (Centre for Multicultural Youth 2007) ..

Recommendation: At crucial stages of high school education when students are starting to consider their career options, it is recommended that schools work together with parents to · portray vocational education in a positive light and educate families on the Australian labour market and how to manage it.

Theo Not aras Multicultural Centre, 2nd Floor, North Building, 180 London Circuit Civic, Canberra GPO Box 697, Canberra City, ACT 2601

Tel: 02 6248 8577 . / Fax: 02 6257 7655 I Email: marss@marss.org.au I Web: www.marss.org.au

MIGRANT AND REFUGEE SETTLEMENT SERVICES OF THE ACT INC.

Patron: Her Excellency Lady Cosgrove

2. Difficulties in obtaining apprenticeships for trade qualifications

MARSS has had a number of clients who were unable to obtain their trades qualifications due to a · lack of apprenticeship opportunities. Our experience combined with the findings of national

reports show that this may be ·attributable to a common perception that migrants lack awareness of Australian workplace cultures and practices, and the added difficulties and risks to the employer of hiring someone who is still developing their English language skills. Another barrier is that migrant youth lack critical networks such as family and friends which mainstream students are often able to capitalise on in order to gain an apprenticeship. For older migrants, these barriers are coupled with the difficulties associated with competing with a younger pool of applicants (Settlement Council of Australia 2012).

MARSS suggests that a mentoring program be initiated linking those seeking a particular trade qualification with relevant businesses in order to get their foot in the door, help them develop a network, and receive practical guidance in pursuing their chosen trade. The Calvary Hospital Refugee Mentorship Program provides a good example of this type of initiative. The program matches Calvary Hospital staff with refugees interested in pursuing their mentor's occupation. Some of MARSS ' clients have been involved in the program and we have seen that it has been very effective.

Recommendation: MARSS recommends that a mentorship program be implemented in businesses and organisations matching those seeking a trade qualification with mentors in those occupations.

MARSS notes that the ACT Training Fund Authority provides financial incentives for employers of apprentices in the building and construction industry who belong to the following groups (ACT Building and Construction Industry Training Fund Authority 2006):

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders

• . Women in non-traditional vocations

• Workers with a disability

Recommendation: MARSS recommends that financial in.centives are provided to employers of migrants in order to facilitate access and equity for migrants.

Theo Notaras Multicultural Centre, 2nd Floor, North Bui lding, 180 London Circuit Civic, Canberra GPO Box 697, Canberra City, ACT 2601

Tel: 02 6248 8577 I Fax: 02 6257 7655 I Email : marss@marss.org.au I Web: www.marss.org.au

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MIGRANT AND REFUGEE SETTLEMENT SERVICES . OF THE ACT INC.

Patron: Her Excellency Lady Cosgrove

RECOMMENDATIONS

In summary and based on the above, MARSS makes the following recommendations to the committee:

1. Given our experiences with the PASS program, · MARSS recommends an increase in the amount of tutoring available for CALD students which would have a positive impact on their learning, and contribute to their future engagement and success in vocational education and training.

2. At crucial stages of high school education when students are starting to consider their career options, it is recommended that schools work together with parents to portray vocational education in a positive light and educate families on the Australian labour market and how to manage it.

3. MARSS recommends that a mentorship program be implemented in businesses and organisations matching those seeking a trade qualification with mentors in those occupations.

4. MARSS recommends that financial incentives are provided to employers of migrants in order to facilitate access and equity for migrants.

Theo Notaras Mult icultural Centre, 2nd Floor, North Building, 180 London Circuit Civic, Canberra GPO Box 697, Canberra City, ACT 2601

Tel: 02 6248 8577 I Fax: 02 6257 7655 I Email: marss@marss.org.au I Web: www.marss.org.au

MIGRANT AND REFUGEE SETTLEMENT SERVICES OF THE ACT INC.

Patron: Her Excellency Lady Cosgrove

REFERENCE LIST

ACT Building and Construction Industry Training Fund Authority 2006, Employers, viewed 8 October 2014 at < http://www.trainingfund.com.au/einployers.html>

Centre for Multicultural Youth 2007, 'Facilitating the Transition to Employment for Refugee Young People: A Data Update and Review of Recent Literature with a focus of 'what works?' Centre for Multicultural Youth, Melbourne.

Settlement Council of Australia 2012, 'Addressing BatTiers to Employment,' SCOA Discussion Paper . .

Theo Notaras Multicultural Centre, 2nd Floor, North Building, 180 London Circuit Civic, Canberra GPO Box 697, Canberra City, ACT 2601

Tel: 02 6248 8577 I Fax: 02 6257 7655 I Email: marss@marss.org .au I Web: www.marss.org.au