MDA Employment Services
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MDA Employment Services has been working with migrants and refugees from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds since March 2002, assisting them with gaining sustainable employment.
Migrants and refugees come to Australia with a diverse range of skills and experiences, yet they often face significant barriers to employment. Securing meaningful and sustainable employment is an integral part of a successful settlement and migration experience. The goal of MDA Employment Services is to facilitate successful settlement by supporting clients with preparing them for employment, helping them with job applications and assisting them in securing and staying in employment.
Clients are expected to take an active role in this process and, in accordance with their individual skills and abilities, should build their capacity to independently realise their aspirations in the Australian labour market. All employment services are free for our jobseeker clients.
MDA Employment Services includes: Job Preparation Assistance, Work Experience, and Get Set for Work, a pre-employment program for disengaged young people from a refugee or migrant background aged 15 to 19. Please follow the links below to find out more about these services as well as the eligibility criteria for receiving services and information on how to contact MDA Employment Services.
MDA Employment Services is currently funded by the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation’s Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative.
1. Job Preparation Assistance
For every client requesting job preparation assistance, an initial service eligibility check will be performed (please see below for more information on eligibility criteria). If eligible for program participation, the client will be assigned to a dedicated Employment Worker who will undertake a job readiness assessment with the new client. This assessment will lead to the formulation of an individually tailored and flexible employment assistance plan. The assistance plan will form the basis of the ongoing engagement between Employment Worker and client for the duration of the client’s participation in MDA’s Employment Services.
Job preparation assistance is delivered either individually, i.e. one-on-one with the Employment Worker, or in a small group. It encompasses some or all of the following, depending on the individual clients’ needs and aspirations:
- Career planning
- Job search techniques and recruitment processes
- Resume preparation
- Cover letter writing
- Addressing selection criteria
- Job interview preparation
- Cold canvassing (reverse marketing)
- Employer liaison and client advocacy
- Post-participation support
It is the role of our Employment Workers to help clients look for job vacancies, to assist them in preparing resumes and writing applications, to coach them for job interviews and to help them in contacting and liaising with potential employers. Depending on their individual skills and abilities, clients are expected to play an active role in this process to enhance their independent understanding of the Australian work culture and the application and recruitment process, as well as their ability to better function in the local labour market.
MDA Employment Services also offers training in small groups in employment-relevant lifeskills such as the following:
Australian work culture
- Communication in the workplace
- Workplace relations
- Employees’ rights and responsibilities
- Basic workplace health and safety
- Grooming and personal presentation
- Balancing private and work life
Underpinning employability skills
- Problem solving
- Initiative
- Motivation
- Time management and task prioritisation
- Basic computer skills
Career information
- Vocational pathways
- Training opportunities
- Apprenticeships and traineeships
- Skills recognition
- Industry-specific information
2. Work Experience
MDA Employment Services runs two 15-week-long paid Work Placement Programs in office administration every year; they usually run from September to December and March to June. Access to these programs is competitive and merit-based. Participants are employed and paid by MDA for the duration of the Work Placement Program, however, they will be placed to work at local not-for-profit organisations (the “Host Employer”). Program participation is on a full-time basis and typical work tasks include:
- Administrative tasks (typing, data entry, drafting documents, ingoing/outgoing mail processing, order processing, receipting payments, filing documents, photocopying, faxing, emailing, etc.)
- Reception and customer service tasks (welcoming clients or customers, answering the telephone, responding to enquiries, etc.)
- Project work tasks (researching information, collating documents, collecting and processing data, etc.)
Work Placement Programs allow participants to gather valuable first-hand experience in the Australian work environment and gain new skills through structured workplace learning under the guidance of a dedicated workplace supervisor. The programs are supported by non-accredited training in essential underpinning employability skills and basic admin-specific work skills, focusing on the following areas:
- Social and work environment
- Workplace health and safety
- Problem solving and planning strategies
- Job search and career planning
- Office technology
- Records handling
The next Office Administration Work Placement Program will commence on 27 September 2010. MDA is now seeking expressions of interest from people from refugee and migrant backgrounds. Applications close on Monday, 30 August 2010. Please click here for information on how to apply.
3. Get Set for Work
MDA’s Get Set for Work program works with young people from a refugee and migrant background between the ages of 15 and 19 who are disengaged, or at risk of disengaging, from school or other vocational activities. It is a work readiness program that aims to create transition pathways for young people by helping them find a job, continue with other education or training, or return to school. Program activities focus on the following four areas:
- Lifeskills Development (incl. core settlement lifeskills relating to education and employment for young people)
- Employability Skills Development (i.e. the basic underpinning skills and personal attributes all employers look for in their employees)
- Job Preparation Skills Training (incl. career pathway exploration, job search techniques, resume writing and interview skills practice)
- Hope and Confidence Building Activities (incl. social and recreational activities)
The program is delivered as a flexible mix of hands-on group activities, informal training and individual casework.
The program is 10 weeks long, with upcoming program intakes scheduled as follows:
- Monday, 12 July – Friday. 17 September 2010 (= term 3)
- Monday, 4 October – Friday, 10 December 2010 (= term 4)
For further information on program eligibility and how to participate in MDA’s Get Set for Work program, please see below or download our program Brochure and Flyer.
4. Eligibility Criteria
MDA Employment Services works with people who:
- live in Brisbane’s southern or northern suburbs;
- come from a culturally and linguistically diverse background, including recently arrived migrants, refugees and humanitarian entrants;
- are currently unemployed, underemployed or otherwise disengaged from the labour market; and
- are Australian citizens, permanent residents or temporary protection visa holders.
Further eligibility criteria may apply, for example regarding visa subclass and Job Services Australia (JSA) client status, and will be assessed on an individual basis.
MDA’s Get Set for Work program is open to young people aged 15 to 19 from a refugee or migrant background who are either early school leavers or are at risk of leaving school before completing Year 12. Further eligibility criteria may apply and will be assessed on an individual basis.
5. Contact Details
MDA Employment Services is delivered on Brisbane’s Southside and Northside and is located at:
- 512 Stanley St, South Brisbane QLD 4101 (MDA head office)
- 54 Handford Rd, Zillmere QLD 4034 (Zillmere Community Centre)
For more information, please contact:
Sebastian Ross-Hagebaum
Manager Employment Services
Tel: (07) 3337 5400
Fax: (07) 3337 5444
Email: sebastianrh@mdabne.org.au
Last updated: August 2010