Partnership To Create Job Opps for Refugees

A partnership between insurer Allianz Australia and Not for Profit organisation Settlement Services International aims to deliver new career opportunities for refugees and migrants who have settled in Australia.

Allianz Australia Managing Director Niran Peiris and SSI CEO Violet Roumeliotis announced the partnership saying that five recruits were involved in the partnership employment program.

They said the partnership aimed to improve employment and educational opportunities for SSI clients as well as enhancing workforce diversity at Allianz.

“Over the next two years Allianz will offer permanent placements for up to 10 SSI clients per year, with SSI identifying potential recruits and providing ongoing support,” Peiris said.

“The first group of new employees includes three women and two men from Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Vietnam, who came to Australia as refugees, asylum seekers and migrants. Their qualifications are in the areas of accounting, business management, community services, legal, and banking and insurance.

“The scheme is designed to mirror the first year of Allianz’s successful graduate program and will include two job rotations in the company within the 12 months that align to the employee’s background, skills and experience. After the two rotations, Allianz will work with participants to identify a suitable permanent role.

“Allianz looks to afford opportunities to all sectors of society that have the skills to be part of our future workforce and this includes refugees, migrants and asylum seekers.”

Roumeliotis said both organisations desired a long-term, sustainable and mutually beneficial relationship.

“Allianz and SSI both have a vision of playing a key support role in the community in the areas of education, employment and addressing social justice issues,” she said.

“Increasing access to education and employment opportunities ultimately increases social participation, independence, and economic and personal well-being for those from a refugee background. Large corporates like Allianz have enormous potential to create jobs, open access to education and basic services, and deliver innovative solutions.

“Both research and SSI’s anecdotal experience as a humanitarian settlement organisation tells us that although the motivation to work is high among refugees who settle in Australia, this does not necessarily lead to employment. Refugees with no Australian work experience, no affordable options for the recognition of their skills and qualifications, and limited access to English language tuition face difficulties in gaining access to sustainable employment pathways.

“Approaching this problem through a win-win ‘working partnership’, we feel we are now creating new solutions.”

She said that in a second component of the partnership, Allianz will provide educational scholarships to assist recently arrived refugees and asylum seekers to integrate successfully into their new communities.

The scholarships aim to minimise the impact of structural disadvantage that refugees often experience during the early settlement phase by increasing access to education.