First refugee to find employment in south
Five months after arriving in New Zealand as a refugee, Brandon Patino, 19, is the first of the Colombians resettled in Invercargill to get a job.
Patino this week started a twoweek part-time position as a car groomer at Southland Kia filling in while another worker is away.
Patino was excited to get the job, even if it was only a short-term employment.
He was the only member in his family to be employed at the moment, Patino said.
Patino and his family arrived in Auckland on January 10, where they spent about two months at the Mangere Refugee Resettlement Centre.
On March 2, the family were moved to Invercargill.
The biggest barrier he and the other Colombians faced when trying to get jobs was their ability to speak English, Patino said.
Patino along with other refugees were enrolled to learn English in classes that ran from Tuesday to Friday to improve their skills each.
His English was improving much faster than his parents and his younger brother was probably picking the language up the quickest, Patino said.
Southland Kia owner Rick Murrell said Patino was a quick learner and was doing a great job despite the fact that his English was not strong.
‘‘I’ve been impressed by how quickly he is picking it up.’’
Murrell believed that he could show other employers in Invercargill that the Colombians were great workers that should be given the opportunity.
He understood some employers may have concerns regarding health and safety when it came to ensuring employers had communicated clearly with staff.
‘‘To move to another country and learn a new language, to start from the very beginning, I don’t think I’d be capable of doing it.’’
Because his wife Andrea is Colombian he has had a bit to do with the community, Murrell said.
The Invercargill community would be better off by helping them settle in, he said.
So far, 10 families have been settled in Invercargill and there will be 11 by the end of July.
A Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment spokeswoman said once the refugees arrived in New Zealand they were provided with permanent residency and were eligible to apply for benefits like all other permanent residents and citizens. ‘‘The type of governmentfunded financial assistance quota refugees receive will depend on their personal circumstances.’’
The cost of government services for the first three years for the 1000 refugees was estimated to be $100 million, the spokeswoman said.
Many jobseekers faced barriers such language, lack of experience or lack of recognised skills when it came to seeking employment, the spokeswoman said.
The Red Cross has a national contract with Immigration New Zealand to provide settlement support to quota refugees for up to 12 months in the community.