Many of our clients do not understand Australian laws and processes, do not speak English, and would not have enforced their rights without our help. Community Legal Education Program To date the Project has delivered over 50 community legal education (CLE) presentations to community members, community workers and community leaders. CLEs have been delivered to more than 500 people, and evaluation surveys were completed by over 350 individuals. The Project has also engaged six part time community leaders from refugee and newly arrived communities to participate in a Train the Trainer Program. Supported by the Helen Macpherson Smith Trust and Victorian Women’s Trust, the Program offered comprehensive training in employment law and key services, assisting participants to develop and distribute CLE sessions to their communities in the West. These initiatives are discussed in more detail below. Newly arrived and refugee workers face high levels of exploitation What experience or evidence can you provide of insecure work in Victoria? What form of working arrangements give rise to this? Which industries and regions does it occur in? What experience or evidence can you provide of the use – or misuse – of working visas in Victoria? Which industries and regions are they used in? What kinds of jobs do working visa holders obtain? What experience or evidence can you provide of exploitation of vulnerable workers in Victoria? This could include working visa holders, young or older workers, workers from a non-English speaking background, women workers, workers with low levels of formal education, workers with a disability or other vulnerable workers. Employment is essential for successful settlement The Western suburbs of Melbourne are home to a diverse range of new and emerging communities. Arriving from a foreign country, many have experienced violence, torture or trauma and are now separated from family members and social connections. Many things are new – including language, public transport systems, schools and laws. Showing resilience and determination, community members seek to create a new life, and employment is consistently recognised as a vital step for successful settlement.7 example, a recent consultation in Melton with community members from Burma identified employment 7For as the most important theme for successful settlement in Melton. Employment was also ranked as the most difficult goal to achieve: Natasha Wilton, Djerriwarrh Health Services, ‘Investigating resettlement barriers with the Burmese Community in Melton: A Needs Assessment’; see also Alistair Ager and Alison Strang, Understanding Integration: A Conceptual Framework, Journal of Refugee Studies (2008) 21(2) 170.
Many of our clients do not understand Australian laws and processes, do not speak English, and would not have enforced their rights without our help. Community Legal Education Program To date the Project has delivered over 50 community legal education (CLE) presentations to community members, community workers and community leaders. CLEs have been delivered to more than 500 people, and evaluation surveys were completed by over 350 individuals. The Project has also engaged six part time community leaders from refugee and newly arrived communities to participate in a Train the Trainer Program. Supported by the Helen Macpherson Smith Trust and Victorian Women’s Trust, the Program offered comprehensive training in employment law and key services, assisting participants to develop and distribute CLE sessions to their communities in the West. These initiatives are discussed in more detail below. Newly arrived and refugee workers face high levels of exploitation What experience or evidence can you provide of insecure work in Victoria? What form of working arrangements give rise to this? Which industries and regions does it occur in? What experience or evidence can you provide of the use – or misuse – of working visas in Victoria? Which industries and regions are they used in? What kinds of jobs do working visa holders obtain? What experience or evidence can you provide of exploitation of vulnerable workers in Victoria? This could include working visa holders, young or older workers, workers from a non-English speaking background, women workers, workers with low levels of formal education, workers with a disability or other vulnerable workers. Employment is essential for successful settlement The Western suburbs of Melbourne are home to a diverse range of new and emerging communities. Arriving from a foreign country, many have experienced violence, torture or trauma and are now separated from family members and social connections. Many things are new – including language, public transport systems, schools and laws. Showing resilience and determination, community members seek to create a new life, and employment is consistently recognised as a vital step for successful settlement.7 7For example, a recent consultation in Melton with community members from Burma identified employment as the most important theme for successful settlement in Melton. Employment was also ranked as the most difficult goal to achieve: Natasha Wilton, Djerriwarrh Health Services, ‘Investigating resettlement barriers with the Burmese Community in Melton: A Needs Assessment’; see also Alistair Ager and Alison Strang, Understanding Integration: A Conceptual Framework, Journal of Refugee Studies (2008) 21(2) 170.
Submission-WCLC.docx