Colombians get drivers licences

Less than a year after arriving in Invercargill as refugees four Colombians now have jobs and drivers licences.

Drive My Life programme in Southland helped the Colombians gain their learner licences.

Seven have completed the course and another 10 are working to gain their learner licences.

Four have been hired by the HWR Group and another has an internship with the company.

HWR Group chief executive officer Brent Esler said the company was facing a shortage of truck drivers and looking for potential drivers who would be motivated and hard working.

The Colombians showed the qualities the company was looking for in staff and for the company, there was an opportunity to do a bit of social good support the new migrants, he said.

Drive My life co-ordinator Cara McLardy said so far the Colombians had a 100 per cent success rate.

When the Colombians were asked about what it meant to them to get their licences many said it was having their own source of New Zealand identification, McLardy said. The refugees are now permanent residents.

Another group of 10 would start their course in the new year, she said.

Most of the Colombians will stay in the programme until they get their full drivers licence.

Red Cross Refugee programmes project co-ordinator Callum Clark said having a licence made it easier for the Colombians to fill out applications.

While they had a certificate of identification, applications usually asked for two forms of New Zealand identification or a licence, Clark said

Some of the Colombians had drivers licences from their home country and could apply for an International Drivers Licence that lasted 12 months.

The Red Cross was putting them through the Drive My Life course to make sure they were safer drivers, Clark said.

Southland district road policing manager Senior Sergeant Jon Bisset said the program had taken on a number of community partners since it was first launched in May.

The program was designed to help communities’ most vulnerable people to get their drivers licences, Bisset said.

ROBYN EDIE/STUFF Former Colombian refugee Mauricio Calero, in drivers seat, Southland district road policing manager Senior Sergeant Jon Bisset, and Red Cross Refugee programmes project co-ordinator Callum Clark.