Services to help you find refugees looking for work

There are government and non-government funded programs that support refugees to find employment opportunities, upskill or reskill, and obtain recognition of their qualifications.

Such programs are delivered by service providers, which include both specialist services (services that provide specialised support focused on supporting refugee job seekers) and mainstream services. Specialist refugee employment services are often provided by settlement service organisations.

Importantly, providers can connect employers with refugees looking for work and provide recruitment and post-placement support.

National

Jobactive provides tailored end-to-end recruitment services at no cost to the employer, including screening, job-readiness for candidates, pre-employment training and post-placement support. Services may also cover some of the costs related to starting and maintaining a job, such as uniforms, work-related equipment, the cost of licences and relocation costs.

Career Pathways Pilot for Refugees supports refugees who have professional or trade skills or qualifications, and can communicate well in English, to find employment opportunities which match their skills.

Disability Employment Services provides employment services to help people with a disability to find and maintain work, including assisting employers to put in place practices that support an employee with a disability in the workplace and post-placement support for a year.

Harvest Labour Services connects workers with employers in harvesting areas around Australia.

Transition to Work supports young people to understand and develop the skills, attitudes and behaviours employers expect in the workplace. Employers can receive a youth bonus wage subsidy of $10,000 over 6 months and post-placement support.

Settlement Language Pathways to Employment and Training is part of the Adult Migrant English Program and includes a work experience component.

State

NSW

Refugee Employment Support Program helps refugees in Western Sydney and Illawarra to develop career plans and link them to employers, education and training.

Smart, Skilled and Hired Youth Employment Program helps young people, including refugees, to become work ready by connecting them to training, mentorship, work experience placements.

Western Australia

Kaleidoscope Initiative helps newcomers to Australia secure employment in their field of expertise and support employers to benefit from this diverse workforce.

Victoria

Jobs Victoria provides tailored services to support and connect job seekers, including those from a refugee background, and employers.

Tasmania

Safe Haven Hub provides support to refugees to find employment and training opportunities suited to their career goals, skills and qualifications, with a focus on working to fill labour shortages, particularly in growth areas of the Tasmanian economy.

Queensland

Skilling Queenslanders for Work funds training and support for unemployed and underemployed people, including refugees. One component is WorkStart incentives, offering private sector employers a once-off payment of $10,000 for employing a Queenslander in a traineeship or apprenticeship.

Northern Territory

Culture: Diversity from the Inside Out is a pilot program helping refugees secure employment or work experience through a one-on-one case management approach with job seekers.

Specialist refugee employment services providers

Services to help you recruit skilled refugees from overseas

Community support program allows businesses to propose humanitarian applicants with employment prospects and to support the new arrival in their settlement journey. Applications are submitted through an Approved Proposing Organisation.

The refugee’s Australian supporters are responsible for funding their visa application process and the first 12 months of settlement in Australia.

Talent Beyond Boundaries connects refugees to international job opportunities, opening labour mobility as a complementary solution to traditional refugee resettlement. Talent Beyond Boundaries has registered 10,000 skilled refugees living in Jordan and Lebanon, who had successful careers before they fled their homes, in a Talent Catalog. A remote recruitment pilot program is being run in Australia with a group of major employers.

Friendly Nation Initiative

Creating pathways to employment is a crucial step in the process of resettling newly arrived refugees.