annual report 2010 –2011 - Multicultural Development Association

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Helping people into employment
3 EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING SERVICES
MDA has been delivering employment and training services for refugees and migrants from
culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds since March 2002. Clients come to Australia
with a variety of skills and experiences, yet they often face significant barriers to employment.
Securing meaningful and sustainable employment is an integral part of successful settlement.
The objective of MDA’s Employment and Training Service is to enable successful settlement
by supporting clients with resources that prepare them for employment, help them with job
applications and assist them in securing and staying in employment.
Demand for our services continues to be high, both for individual job preparation assistance
and work experience opportunities. In the coming year, we will offer accredited vocational
training courses to refugee and migrant jobseekers. We continued our industry engagement
activities this year, both directly with employers as well as through recruitment agencies. Some
positive outcomes were achieved with employment opportunities in regional and rural areas.
Identifying growth industries and skills shortage areas and creating opportunities for training
and work experience that lead to sustainable employment remain our high priority.
Service areas
MDA Employment and Training Services deliver a range of employment programs for refugee
and migrant jobseekers. These programs run from MDA’s head office at the Brisbane Multicultural
Centre in Woolloongabba and MDA’s Northside office in Windsor.
Job preparation assistance
Eligible jobseekers are provided specialised assistance with job preparation. This service is
tailored to suit the needs of the individual and is delivered through individual support and
small group training. Areas of support may include career planning, Australian work culture,
underpinning employability skills, job search techniques, resume and application preparation,
cover letter writing, addressing selection criteria, job interview preparation, employer liaison
and client advocacy. Approximately 160 jobseekers registered for job preparation support in
2010/11, of which two-thirds were assisted into full-time or part-time employment.
MULTICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION | ANNUAL REPORT | 2010 – 2011
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