More refugee driving instructors sought
The Red Cross Nelson Refugee Driver Training Programme is seeking mentors to help steer our newest New Zealanders towards their driving qualifications.
Team Leader of the Nelson Red Cross pathways to employment programme Claire Nichols said the mentor scheme was conducted under the banner of the organisation with helpful funding from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Enterprise.
The Nelson programme started in early 2016 and has so far helped more than 30 refugees successfully gain their drivers licence.
This year it is hoped another 45 former refugees can go through the programme in the two intakes beginning in February.
In order to make this happen, the call has gone out for up to 20 new mentors to take up the challenge of helping the refugees get their licence.
Nichols said because Nelson wasn’t extensively serviced in its public transport system, having a restricted licence made it much easier to find employment – a key area in successful settlement.
‘‘Yes, people do carpool but if there’s no former refugees working in a particular work place, then it really is limiting for people,’’ she said.
Nichols said that for families, not having a licence made getting to appointments or taking the kids to school on rainy days or winter that much harder.
‘‘Also, historically in NZ culture family members will teach others to drive - with our clients, many of them have not had those extended family members who’ve already had their full licence for two years, so they don’t have those people there to support them to progress from their learners licence.’’
Programme co-ordinator Rhonwyn Knecht joined as a volunteer in August last year, as a way of finding something that provided a ‘‘relevant, immediate impact’’ on those she was mentoring.
While the main goal was to ultimately help the refugees get jobs, Knecht said volunteering had many other spinoffs includ- ing ensuring everybody was safer on the road, while providing both parties with skills for life.
Prospective mentors needed to have had their full NZ drivers licence for more than two years, a clean driving record and pass the obligatory police check.
The training is done in conjunction with professional instructors and mentors are paired with a former refugee based on their availability.
Dual-control cars are used in training.
If anything, she said, mentoring had taught her to be a better driver, particularly when it came to mastering the art of parallel parking.
Anyone wishing to become a refugee driving mentor should contact Rhonwyn at nelsonrdtp@gmail.com.