[Sub ID 4713] Employment and job readiness skills for young African-Australians (African Australian Small Business Association)

Submission ID: 4713
Organisation name: African Australian Small Business Association
Contact name: Dr Berhan Ahmed
State: VIC
Contact email: b.ahmed@unimelb.edu.au
Contact number: 0405479275

Which priority group of the Try, Test and Learn Fund does your idea support?
Young carers, Young students at risk of long-term unemployment

What need or issue are you trying to address?
Young Australians of African background are probably the most challenged and vulnerable group in Australia.
• Refugees or children of refugees
• Trauma from horror and abuse
• Many solo parents
• Isolated and have little support.
• Do not understand Australian interview process and employment requirements
• Employers are often reluctant to employ such parents or recent education leavers even though they would like to.

These problems are well identified both by research and by the very extensive personal experience that we have had with these people and communities.

What is your idea?
This idea is for a program to work with roleplay, education and interviews to increase the employability of young parents and young students. We will work with them personally and in small, informal groups to identify their main problems and roleplay interviews and some work situations. The prospective employees and the employers will be interviewed to get feedback and responses. Then we will train them, introduce them to employers, roleplay some work simulations, and track their progress with applications and employment over the program period. This program will concentrate on what service delivery will best assist both the prospective employees and the employers to increase employment.