Refugee & Asylum Seeker Employment
Overcoming refugee employment barriers
City Rotary is working with MercyCare and CARAD (Centre for Asylum Seekers, Refugees and Detainees) to increase employment opportunities for refugees and asylum seekers and reduce the time to achieve financial independence, with a focus on micro enterprise, social enterprise and developing relationships with employers.
This project is very active, and we have a range of opportunities for City Rotary members to get involved.
Ongoing work with MercyCare includes:
- Helping refugees gain a driving licence by supervising driving practice.
- ‘Preparing for Australian Citizenship’ workshops to help refugees to take the Citizenship test.
Attribution: Image courtesy of CARAD.
Our successes
- Over 30 refugees gained employment with Brightwater.
- Introduction of MercyCare’s inhouse cleaning business employing refugees supported by City Rotary’s business development experience.
- Delivered ‘Preparing for Employment’ training for refugees.
- Delivered a comprehensive new IT system to CARAD supported by a successful LotteryWest grant application.
- Funding of driving lessons for refugees via the Edmund Rice Foundation and enabling learner drivers to complete supervised driving hours needed to gain their license.
- Facilitated a philanthropic funding grant to help MercyCare refugee clients (women and children) achieve and maintain housing tenancies.
More about MercyCare
Visit the MercyCare website to find out more about how MercyCare is supporting refugees and asylum seekers to settle in Western Australia.
Feedback from MercyCare about City Rotary
More about CARAD
The Centre for Asylum Seekers, Refugees, and Detainees (CARAD) is a not-for-profit organisation providing essential needs, advocacy, and welfare support services to people seeking humanitarian protection in Western Australia. Learn more on the CARAD website.
Opportunities to Get Involved
Preparing for employment workshops
We are currently looking for a volunteer to facilitate these workshops in collaboration with MercyCare.
If you are able to help please get in touch.
Contact: Greg Thurston
Citizenship workshops
If you are looking for a meaningful way to welcome new community members and make a lasting impact, find out more about volunteering for the Preparing for Citizenship program.
Contact: Ros Marshall
Links to Employers
We are looking for links to employers who might provide work experience and employment for refugees and asylum seekers, supported by MercyCare and CARAD.
Contact: Nadine Rabu
Volunteer Roles
We are looking for volunteers to help refugees and asylum seekers with:
- Supervised driving hours in order to get a driver’s licence, managed via MercyCare’s RYDE program (dual control car).
- Preparing for the Australian citizenship test .
- One-on-one career mentoring.
- Micro enterprise initiatives. (Linking to the Small Business Development Corporation)
Contact: Nadine Rabu