Opening a world of possibilities

PLACEMENT at the South Hobart tip shop helped 20-year-old Kwot Omod learn invaluable workplace skills.

For workers at the Resource Work Cooperative, it opened up a new world.

Mr Omod, who moved to Australia from Ethiopia two years ago, was placed at the centre last year under the Migrant Resource Centre’s MY Step into Work Program.

It was the Hobart man’s first job in Australia — and has helped him on his way to full-time employment.

Mr Omod is now employed casually with the tip shop’s deconstruction team as he works towards a construction apprenticeship.

“I really love it because everybody I work with in here, they’re really lovely,” Mr Omod said.

The Migrant Resource Centre is calling on businesses to offer more young Tasmanians of a migrant and refugee background work placements.

Multicultural Youth Tasmania team leader Sally Thompson said the aim of MY Step into Work was to help participants get work experience, understand Australian workplace culture and expectations, and access networking opportunities.

Eleven young people were placed across seven businesses in the pilot program last year.

South Hobart Resource Work Cooperative co-ordinator Molly Kendall said Mr Omod’s temporary employment at the tip shop had been a winwin for all involved.

“It opened up the workers to a whole new experience of Kwot’s story and where he’s from and his ways of living, and also we could see Kwot finding his place in the workplace and understanding our system,” Ms Kendall said. Visit myt.org.au for more information.