Bicultural Kindergarten Community Educator

Summary of program and its objectives: The Brotherhood has recently been engaged by a client who seeks to better understand the barriers and enablers for four year old children from  Burmese/Karen/Chin backgrounds who are not engaging in funded kinder programs. The consultancy project will utilise the learnings to inform how the early childhood sector and government can better help understand and engage parents and their children. This will involve consultation with early childhood sector stakeholders and the above CALD communities.

Main responsibilities of the role:    The key purpose of the Bicultural Kindergarten Community Educator is to play a lead role in focus group consultations with their respective CALD community across metropolitan Melbourne. The purpose of these sessions are to check awareness, understanding, barriers, and enablers to engagement in funded four-year old kindergarten education and/or understand cultural preferences for this age group. This role will undertake consultations directly with the respective cultural community via focus group consultations at playgroups, women’s groups as well as 1-1 interviews with parents whose children are not engaged in the early childhood system. Community leaders and ethno-specific service providers may also be consulted.

To meet the selection criteria, candidates will require:

KEY SELECTION CRITERIA

• Proficiency in one or several languages of priority communities – Burmese community (Burmese/Karen/Chin speaking).
• Established networks amongst the priority community in Melbourne
• Demonstrated ability to engage community members of diverse religious, cultural and socio-economic backgrounds using strong interpersonal and cross-cultural communication skills
• Demonstrated ability to assist and facilitate focus groups
• Ability to build strong connections with diverse community members and service providers in the community with a strong commitment to community engagement
• Ability to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team
• Well-developed organisational and time management skills with the ability to plan workload, prioritise and meet deadlines
• Demonstrated knowledge and competency in Microsoft Office Programs including Word, Excel and Outlook
• Understanding of and empathy with the values and ideals of the Brotherhood.

This is a casual position and hours will be as required basis. We envisage that the Bi-cultural Kindergarten Community Educator will be between 1-2 days per week.

Salary will be $26.04 to $28.35 per hour for casuals plus a 25% casual loading, based on skills and experience plus superannuation. Attractive salary packaging provisions are available to increase take home pay.

For further information about the role phone Hutch Hussein on 0438507103

As part of the Brotherhood’s recruitment and selection process, applicants will be required to undergo pre-employment checks as required, applicants will be subject to, but not limited to, the following checks: National (and International if applicable) Police Check, Victorian Employee Working with Children Check, Right to Work in Australia, Disability Worker Exclusion Scheme Check and current professional registration. Applications close: 9:00 am, Monday 16 September 2019

The Brotherhood of St Laurence has a vision of an Australia free of Poverty. We embrace, and value, diversity of culture, working arrangements, sexual orientation and gender identity to ensure our workforce is representative of the community that we work within. We promote a workplace that actively seeks to include and welcome unique contributions of all people. We embrace and celebrate the value of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff, their skills and contribution to our organisation.