Single, lost and desperate, Harsimran turned to an 'employment mentor'

After moving cities to Melbourne in 2023, domestic violence survivor and single mother Harsimran faced big challenges finding work.

Harsimran, a pseudonym, had only recently come to Australia from India.

"At first I was struggling," she told ABC News.

"As a single parent and a new person of a new country, it is very difficult. And at that time, my English is also not good."

Harsimran felt lost and uncertain about the future.

She had no real qualifications and only a high school education, no family support and was renting a single room in a Melbourne share house with her teenage son.

However, with some assistance to address her specific needs, she was able to avoid falling into the trap of long-term unemployment.

AMES Australia — a government-funded agency that helps refugees and other migrants — assigned Harsimran an "employment mentor" who helped her get a driving licence, English lessons and an interest-free loan from NGO Good Shepherd to buy a car.

AMES also helped her find a job as a cleaner which, thanks to her strong work ethic, progressed to a production role.

"They helped me in so many ways,"

she said.

Specialist settlement and CALD community services providers now hope more jobseekers like Harsimran from diverse backgrounds, who face unique barriers, will soon be able to receive "tailored" support to get into the workforce, with hopes that could improve productivity and lead to other benefits.

The federal government last month announced a "once-in-a-generation reform" to Australia's employment services system, Workforce Australia.

Under the revamped system, jobseekers will be given "tailored" employment plans following an assessment process and triaged into three tiers:

A digital service run by the government with "individualised resources and brief interventions" for people who are ready to work.

Targeted provider-led support for jobseekers who need help to build skills and confidence.

Intensive services for "people facing complex barriers", providing them with "more time, more flexibility and more joined-up support".

"We are determined to get more Australians into work and to do that we need to move beyond a one-size-fits-all approach to employment," said Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations Amanda Rishworth.

Tailored approach could bring 'tremendous benefits'

Eric Harper is the executive general manager for service delivery at not-for-profit organisation Settlement Services International (SSI), which provides employment and other services to diverse communities across New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland.

Mr Harper said his organisation and the communities it worked with had long called for the government to have a more personalised approach to jobseekers.

He said refugees and people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities often had to overcome unique barriers including a lack of language skills and professional networks, work experience recognition, and discrimination.

"It's very difficult for them to be serviced through the mainstream system in a culturally responsive way, in language, taking into account customs, religion and supporting them to navigate those local workplace systems, which are obviously novel to them," he said.

Support could range from language classes, to assistance enrolling in education, mentoring or help setting up a small business.

Mr Harper said people from diverse communities had a lot to offer and there would be "tremendous benefits" in getting more into appropriate work.

"It's absolutely critical to be able to activate those skills and tap into that productivity in an appropriate way,"

he said.

He said skilled workers in sectors including construction and care were in high demand.

"There are, and there will be, many opportunities to activate citizens, new Australians, refugees [and other people] who are already here through just a little more specialised support to be able to contribute," he said.

"That would be an incredible feat and is especially important for our growth."

He said the benefits went beyond economic productivity.

"We truly believe there's a downstream impact on social cohesion,"

he said.

Melinda Collinson, chief executive of AMES Australia, echoed SSI's support of the changes.

Ms Collinson said AMES had seen how specialist services, embedded in the mainstream service, could improve employment outcomes.

"We welcome the move because it will create more flexible and individually tailored pathways to employment, especially for groups of people with significant barriers," she said.

"We also recognise the value of employment programs that are community-based, culturally sensitive and tailored to the needs, barriers and aspirations of particular groups or communities."

Consultation under way

A public discussion paper on the Workforce Australia changes is open for submissions until July 31, with an expert group set up to provide advice alongside "targeted consultation with jobseekers, employers, providers and communities".

Expressions of interest have been sought to join a "lived experience panel" with members potentially invited to share their experiences through a reference group, survey or focus group.

Ms Collinson said AMES welcomed the announcement of the lived experience panel.

"It's important that employment programs are informed by people who have walked the jobseeker journey," Ms Collinson said.

"We think there also needs to be a focus on improving skills recognition for migrants and refugees trying to enter the labour market, and we welcome the government's recent budget initiatives on this."

Mr Harper said the Inclusive Employment Australia program, which provides support to NDIS recipients looking for work, should be a model for the reformed Workforce Australia.

He said SSI had been providing support to refugees with a disability under the program.

"It's really tailored. It provides in-language support. It's about about more intensive and culturally appropriate engagement of refugees who have capacity to work, and we've actually had significant success, even in its early stages of operation," he said.

He said SSI would also like to see changes to the mutual obligation program.

The system requires participants to complete tasks while receiving payments, such as applying for a set number of jobs, attending meetings with service providers, and accepting any job offers deemed suitable.

It tended to be a blunt instrument, Mr Harper said, and that created issues that were compounded for new Australians, particularly refugees, who might be work-ready but had experienced trauma or had a level of disability.

While urging the government to move as quickly as possible through the design and implementation process, he added it was important that multicultural Australia was represented during the consultation.

"If the new system is to genuinely serve all Australians, the voices of multicultural communities must be at the table from the beginning. Leaving them out only ensures the same gaps and inequities persist," he said.

A spokesperson for the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations said feedback was being sought from stakeholders, including organisations supporting culturally and linguistically diverse communities, as part of the employment services reform process.

The spokesperson said some members of the advisory group represented the "experiences of specific demographic cohorts within the employment services system".

'Slowly, my life is going good'

Back in Melbourne, Harsimran said getting a job had a huge impact on her and her son's wellbeing.

"Before, when I had no job, I was struggling with so many things: I have no house, I'm struggling to pay the rent, groceries and my son's expenses that he has while he's studying," she said.

"[AMES] helped me by finding me a job and slowly, slowly my life is going good."

She's now enrolled in a Certificate III in Individual Support course to work in the aged or disability care sector.

Best of all, Harsimran said, she was now able to afford to rent a house of her own.

"Now I'm very happy. Before, I'm very stressed. I'm crying by myself because I don't want to cry in front of my son," she said.

"When I got a job, I felt proud of myself and feel like I'm doing good. I can buy things and spend money for my son.

"[Without the support] maybe I am not in this place now."