Page 762 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 21 March 2017
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100 embassies and high commissions and comprises individuals who hail from over 200 countries. Many of these people come from refugee backgrounds, they or their parents or grandparents having fled persecution in zones of conflict around the world and finding solace in a community that was proudly declared a refugee welcome zone in 2015.
We recognise that migrants and refugees bring new ideas and fresh perspectives. They are more likely to start new businesses, more likely to create innovation. They encourage the rest of us to dream bigger. Migrants helped build the Snowy River scheme. They were crucial to the development of the goldfields. We would not be the Australia we are without their contribution.
The ACT government’s central goal for social inclusion is to help every person to reach their full potential as a member of our diverse, inclusive and creative community. Our social inclusion program implements policies and practices that respond to poverty, deprivation and disadvantage as well as cultural and systemic problems such as homophobia, sexism, racism and violence against women and children. These issues affect the entire ACT community regardless of social or cultural backgrounds.
The ACT government also supports a wide range of activities and organisations to promote a harmonious and inclusive city. The annual National Multicultural Festival is a highlight of the year and a celebration of Canberra’s rich and varied multicultural community. As members would be well aware, this year the festival marked its 21st birthday and more than 280,000 people were there to celebrate.
More broadly, the ACT multicultural framework 2015-2020 highlights the real actions across all ACT government directorates in supporting and protecting our cultural diversity. This includes a range of grants programs such as the ACT participation multicultural grants. More than $260,000 is allocated annually providing opportunities for culturally diverse community organisations to develop innovative projects that contribute to sustainable communities by highlighting and promoting cultural diversity and social harmony.
In terms of supporting Canberrans from culturally diverse backgrounds into work, the biannual work experience and support program has been changing lives for almost two decades. The program is designed to support Canberrans in culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds to enter the workforce by providing an opportunity to undertake an on-the-job training placement to improve skills and confidence as well as to develop important networks within the ACT public service. Two intakes of the program are offered each financial year with 20 work placements per intake. Successful graduates receive a certificate II in business. Even more importantly for many, a good number of past participants have gone on to enjoy long careers in the public service after completing the program.
The ACT government is also working hard to engage more employers in supporting the employment of candidates from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds. In September last year the inaugural refugee employment community of practice was conducted with a view to sharing and developing ideas on how to help people from refugee backgrounds in the ACT access sustainable employment pathways.
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