Hubs Supporting Vocational Pathways

VOLUNTEERING WITHIN THE SCHOOL HUB CAN DELIVER WORKPLACE-SPECIFIC SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE,

VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING.

CHALLENGES FOR MIGRANTS AND REFUGEES, ESPECIALLY WOMEN IN FINDING A VOCATIONAL PATHWAY.

Many migrants and refugees need significant assistance and stepping stones to embark on a vocational pathway.

At the school level we know that there are many different environmental

influences that can affect a child's development.

If we consider the ecological systems theory, Bronfenbrenner theory of

human development, we can map the influences that support the whole

family, starting from the people and institutions immediately surrounding

the individual to nationwide cultural forces.

A UNIQUE ASPECT OF THE HUBS IS THE SUPPORT THAT WE

CAN PROVIDE TO PEOPLE.

Facilitators recognise the importance of the systems that surround

the individual and strategically develop place based environmental

intervention methods, such as family support services, education

for parents and home visits.

Local leaders and Home language volunteers can provide a great

link to the community.

COMMUNITY HUB SCHOOLS SUPPORT A HOLISTIC WAY OF WORKING.

• The Hub provides a respectful place to explore beliefs and attitudes.

• Facilitators nurture trusting relationships, developed through ongoing

engagement in the Hub. It takes time to build trust and accept support.

• The Hub schools are a soft entry point for volunteers to recognise their

personal skills. Volunteering encourages people to identify their aspirations

and gain training qualifications to prepare for a vocational pathway.

We felt it important to give you an opportunity to hear from

the volunteers themselves.

Christine Donna RachelCraigieburn Sth Broadmeadows Sunbury Hts Holy Child MeadowsPrimary School Valley Primary School Primary School Primary School Primary School

We thank these wonderful ladies for sharing their story

in their own words.

Elena Colleen

NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR EMPLOYMENT

Rachel’s barriers were

• ill health,

• shifting to a new location where she knew no-one,

• struggling to raise a special needs child, isolation and depression.

Finding the Holy Child Hub meant she immediately felt welcomed by the community

There was always something to be involved in

Van encouraged Rachel to enrol to study "Certificate 3 Education Support" and update her qualifications, as well as

utilising and expanding upon my experiences with kids of all developmental stages and invited her to do two short

courses - "Let's Count" and "Let's Read.

Rachel began to volunteer in to Playgroup at the Hub to do games and songs with the children.

In 2016, Rachel was offered the Playgroup Facilitator position at Holy Child Community Hub. Finding work elsewhere

(and even studying at other locations) had not been easy. Needing to be at school at 3.20pm every day to pick up

her son and being a non-driver made it extra difficult

Apart from being passionate about working with children, Rachel is so happy to be employed at her son's school.

Being nearby has also helped her son transition into school very well.

LESSONS FROM THE SCHOOL HUBS

• We provide parenting information and home language supports

• Build on transferable skills and knowledge of new arrivals, refugees and humanitarian entrants.

• To advance self-esteem, we acknowledge differing values –”Respect where people are at” .

• Invite partner organisations to present onsite parent information sessions, eg Growing Happy families,

Parent’s Next, Financial literacy workshops, Let’s Connect events.

• Develop Local Leaders

• Managing staff and training, encouraging retention and maintaining morale.

• Link families to local social participation and wider community activities

• Expand horizons that enables different career choices and employment opportunities. Eg IT FOR KIDS

• Refer parents to support organisations eg Legal aide, Spectrum, on-site Anglicare Family support

worker, BSL initiative Stepping Stones to Small Business which supported women to start a small business.

• Youth mentoring and practical work placements

• Refer to local job opportunities

• Partner networks / All–the-jobs / Apprenticeship matters Recruitment

• Providing a reference

.

New skills have turned into local employment enterpriseseg hairdressing, celebration cake decorating.

FACTORS THAT CAN INFLUENCE ECONOMIC SECURITY

Understanding Australia’s education and training systems

Transience

Unethical business practices

Sub-contractors.

Perception of bias.

Peer pressure

.

Respecting differing values.

Opportunities for developing skills.

Building strong relationships

Acknowledging ideas and individual contributions

THE VOLUNTEER PATHWAY

GAINING SELF ESTEEM

My reflection of my volunteer work at Meadows Primary School.

After leaving my previous job through special circumstances, I gave up and decided not to

work again and really put my self-esteem down.

Then my journey started at the Hub by filling the Gap that I missed since I left my previous

job as a receptionist because of conflict.

Working at the beginning made me give up everything, but gradually I started to get the

volunteering habit and to like and love what I was doing.

For instance, I met Maureen and cooperated with Maria in Playgroup changed everything.

Throughout these times, I built and regained my self-confidence and my high self-esteem as

well.

Communication, cooperation, and participating in many activities such as classroom

assistance in foundation and by supporting the students who really needs help in literacy

and numeracy built up my confidence and updated my skills.

I would like to thank Meadows Primary School Principle Anthony Potesta and the Hub

Team who gave me the opportunity and support to employ me as casual Education

Support.

Nahida

I joined volunteer pathway this year, after arriving to Australia two year back as a skill immigrant. I got a lot of useful information and knowledge at various events from different sources to adapt easily in new environment which was channelled by Meadows community hub.Got different perspective of various cultures and adjustment within Australian society. I always like the approach to discuss and collaborate with community projects. It always makes me feel good to give back my IT knowledge to people who are not fully aware of it. Working on a volunteer pathway in the program 'IT for kids ' has given me a lot more fun ideas for utilising my IT skills and existing digital resources for kids learning and education in general.It has evolve me as a person where I get more inspire on bigger horizon by taking small steps.To give suggestion and ideas for any new project are always welcome by meadows community hub. It has given me a way to utilise my knowledge for community welfare and education.Joining meadows community hub on a volunteer pathway has given me a chance to grow as a part of community and finally making a lot of more new friends every day!Thanks Erum

EXPANDING HORIZONS

ENCOURAGE ONGOING TRAININGHi Maureen,I hope you are well. It was great to catch up with you last week.I'm applying to do the Certificate IV in Workplace Training and Assessment at Kangan in Essendon and was wondering if you would be a referee on my CV? The enrolment session is next Thursday (23/2/17). (Please let me know what you think. No pressure :)

Sincerely,Colleen.

PARTNERSHIP NETWORKS

Dear Maureen,

We take this opportunity to thank you for providing our students with relevant work experience.

Kangan Institute values your contribution to our students being able to apply their newly acquired skills

and knowledge in a real work situation.

Please find attached a scanned copy of Practical Placement Agreement for your records.

If you require any further assistance please do not hesitate to contact me.

Kind regards

Sev Taylar

Administration Officer, Centre for Business

Local leaders

The Meadows Community Hub is a place where all people are welcome.

It is a place where we can use our skills, abilities and talents while also

discovering new ones.

I have found the Meadows Hub has helped me grow in many ways.

I have meet many people and made good friends, been able to use my

skills in the volunteer work and have felt supported and encouraged by

the staff and other volunteers. It is a place of inclusivity and community.

Sincerely Colleen.

By mastering the new skills taught by local leaders, some

parents have turned a hobby into local employment enterprise.

“Chef for the day”

Celebration cake decorating

NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR EMPLOYMENTI'm Rachel, I'm 48 years old and I live in the Northern Melbourne suburb of Dallas. Prior to settling here, my husband and I lived and worked as

musicians in Newcastle, NSW. When thyroid cancer made it impossible for me to continue singing professionally, we packed up and moved to

Melbourne, where we knew no-one.

I was fortunate to obtain a job in Brunswick as a Kindergarten Assistant, which re-ignited my passion for teaching (prior to my band, I had done a degree

in Secondary English and History teaching.) This job was only a one year contract, however. Soon after, I became pregnant with a child of my own and

from his birth in 2009 until he began Prep in 2015, I was a full-time stay-home mum. I loved it, but with my husband working six days and no family or

friends around, I sometimes struggled with caring for a special needs child (my son is on the autism spectrum - what they used to call Aspergher's),

isolation and depression.

In 2015 my son began Prep at Holy Child School, Dallas. My family immediately felt welcomed by the community. There's always something going on

here! I helped with reading in the classrooms, volunteered in the library, chopped fruit, flipped sausages, Mother & Father, Easter & Christmas raffle and

other school events.

I was introduced to Van Bui, the Hub Co-ordinator at Holy Child, who told me about the activities and courses coming up. When I enrolled to study my

"Certificate 3 Education Support" here, I saw it as a good way to update my old qualifications, as well as utilising and expanding upon my experiences

with kids of all developmental stages. Van also invited me to do two short courses while doing my Cert 3 - "Let's Count" and "Let's Read", both of which I

found useful. I'd regularly pop in to Playgroup at the Hub to do games and songs with the children, inspired by what I was learning.

In 2016, I was thrilled to be offered the job as Playgroup Facilitator at Holy Child Community Hub. Apart from being passionate about working with

children, I was so happy to be employed at my son's school. Finding work elsewhere (and even studying at other locations) had not been easy for me. I

need to be at school at 3.20pm every day to pick up my son and being a non-driver made it extra difficult. Being nearby has also helped my son

transition into school very well.

I've been the Playgroup Facilitator at Holy Child Community Hub for a year now. The past twelve months has seen our playgroup flourish, relationships

strengthen and the kind of support we can offer to our families has increased. Many of our playgroup families, for example, are new arrivals. Van saw a

way to support these mums - one morning a week the Hub offers free English classes in one room, while I mind the children in the neighbouring room.

With weekly English class and child minding, playgroups, Zumba classes and the new Women's Wellbeing sessions (co-ordinated by Van and my friend

and Holy Child mum Dalia) to name just a few, there's always a lot of happy activity and community spirit here at Holy Child Community Hub, Dallas!