Young people from refugee backgrounds in Broadmeadows had a special visit from Immigration Minister Andrew Giles on Friday, February 3.
Mr Giles visited the group at the Brotherhood of St Laurence to hear about the Youth Transition Support (YTS) program.
The program enables young people who have recently arrived in Australia to receive tailored assistance to support their education, training, and employment needs during their settlement process.
Mr Giles said the YTS program does a great job of supporting young people in the area.
“It’s so important that young people from refugee and vulnerable backgrounds can embark on their resettlement journey with tailored support to give them the start to life in Australia that they deserve,” he said.
The roundtable session allowed the young people to share their experiences and outcomes with Mr Giles.
YTS participant Ejaz Hussain said the program has given him the skills and confidence he needed to find a job and improve his “sense of belonging”.
“Successful settlement is about connection to community and having support to guide you through often difficult and confusing processes,” he said.
The YTS program has been running for seven years and provides young refugees with the opportunity to participate in the community by providing employment and education opportunities.
The program offers work-related experiences that include workplace tours, industry guest speakers, and conversations with people from various organisations.
Brotherhood of St Laurence executive director Travers McLeod said the program has helped so many people to achieve a critical sense of agency and belonging.
“Collaborative, placed-based initiatives like YTS harness the vast potential of newly arrived young people and deliver excellent outcomes not only for them, but their employers and the economy,” he said.
