Employment Skills Centre coaches migrants in our ways

The calls to boost skilled migrant numbers to solve our skill shortages can only work if migrants can FIND work in which they are qualified, yet the job search, daunting enough for locals, is even worse for migrants, with no local knowledge or contacts.

In Victoria, Adult Multicultural Education Services (AMES)is coaching migrants in the Australian job search process at The Employment Skills Centre.

The Centre’s clients pay a fee for a program that helps new migrants understand the local job market, workplace culture and ‘the Australian way of doing things’. Components of the program are:

1)Careers counselling
2)4-6 week practical placement
3)2 week intensive pre-employment skills course.

Programs Manager Steve del Rosario says whether you are a migrant or a local job seeker, it is all about where you can add value to an organisation. The Centre helps clients search for themselves and gives them info on what they need to get competitive against local competition.

The practical placement with an employer is really valuable – people can see what it takes to be successful in a job here and how it compares with previous work. As well as getting honest feedback from the employer, an AMES concultant helps them work out what might be working against them.