Jeremiah Temple, Reservoir resident from Sierra Leone, has created the Journeys to Employment forum.
MOST people from refugee backgrounds have had their self-esteem damaged from not being able to get a job. This forum will use people who have succeeded to help refugees understand the pathways.
I came to Australia in 2005. I did a certificate three in warehousing, transport and distribution, an advanced diploma in logistics, a diploma in community welfare, a diploma in business management, a bachelor in Humanitarian and Community Studies, and a graduate certificate in supply chain logistics, all in five years. In Africa the more qualifications you had the better, but here employers want experience. I did get a job but I don’t think I needed all the studies. I’ve been working with the Salvation Army for four years, co-ordinating vulnerable migrant projects.
Three months of volunteering somewhere is worth a year of study. I volunteered lots before I moved into the community field and I used that to get my job. Also get your driving licence and learn good English.
I would like to raise my four children in Australia but I would also like to return to Sierra Leone. I want to help people back home. I’d like to see more people volunteering back there – it is part of what makes the society good here.
Journeys to Employment, at NMIT Preston, Cramer Street, conference building U, May 31, from 9.45am to 2pm. Details: call 9401 6666 or 9478 4905.
