When Tibetan refugee Pema Kyi came to Australia in 2019 she had a Bachelor of Arts degree and was passionate about finding a career in mental health and psychology. But Ms Kyi, who is fluent in Mandarin and English, found settling in Australia more challenging than she expected.
“When I first came here I just had to start from zero,” Ms Kyi says.
Tibetan refugee Pema Kyi wants to pursue a career in mental health to help other refugees.Credit:Justin McManus
Even with her university degree she was unable to use her qualifications to get a job and had to re-skill to make a living.
AMES Australia, a refugee and migrant settlement agency, helped Ms Kyi complete her Certificate IV in Aged Care and start studying for a diploma in mental health.
Now, their new program “Opening minds, building futures” focuses on providing young people from South Sudanese and Pasifika communities with the skills to find fulfilling and sustainable careers.
The federal government has pledged $500,000 in funding to support the program, which will provide mentors and counsellors for young adults from years 7-10.
Set to start early next year, the program is being piloted in Melbourne before being rolled out in Sydney, if successful.
“We were really looking at what the barriers were for young people that were at risk of becoming disengaged or not reaching their full potential,” said program director Maria Tsopanis. “Social capital, networks and the ability to leverage those networks outside their community makes a big difference.”
Ms Tsopanis said a major roadblock for children and young people was that parents weren’t aware of the breadth of opportunity available to their kids.
Building career futures for refugees
Source: Philippines Alive
