Plans need a helping hand

Leaders aiming for social integration

GEELONG leaders have a vision for this city to become a gateway zone for regional employment opportunities.

They believe this bold plan could solve some of the region’s unemployment issues, help skilled migrants get work and improve social cohesion.

But Diversitat acting manager Dianna Rice said this would be little more than a dream until all levels of government committed to longterm funding and investment for our most vulnerable residents.

“We are having a lot of skilled refugees coming in. Why don’t we have a pathway for jobs?” Ms Rice said.

Leaders like Ms Rice are constantly advocating for new arrivals, who often speak limited English and have left traumatic situations for a new life in Australia.

Once in the country they then have to battle negative stereotypes that Ms Rice said had been falsely perpetuated by the media and politicians.

To combat this, Diversitat is running as many programs as it can — but often the programs are only funded for a pilot period and are not ongoing, Ms Rice said.

A vital program that connects the most vulnerable with emergency funds will no longer operate in a few months. It has lost its funding.

Ms Rice said this would leave many people with no ability to receive tenancy support, bill support of food support in the lurch.

She said what was really needed were wraparound services, similar to the new family violence support centres, where workers could easily connect clients on the spot with the services they need.

She said ongoing funding and support was vital to this.

“We often only have pilot funding, we set up a program do really well and we don’t have the dollars to keep it going,” Ms Rice said.

“We don’t have the money to sustain anything.”

Youth project co-ordinator Makot Wol said there was a lack of programs to support adolescent migrant children.

This year the group has received funding to develop a foosball team — that will bring young people together and then provide them mentor sessions run by older people from different community.

He hopes the program will be funded once the pilot ends.

Another program, Hear Our Stories, is giving refugees the opportunities to share where they have come from and who they are their own community for the first time.

Member for Lara John Eren said the State Government was continuing to support Diversitat’s work.

“We’re building a Victoria where everyone belongs, feels accepted and contributes back to the community,” Mr Eren said.

“This is what makes us a proudly multicultural state.”