Celebrating Harmony Week at Navitas Skilled Futures: ‘I found a community at Navitas’

Harmony Week is celebrated from Monday 17 – Sunday 23 March 2025. The week recognises our diversity and brings together Australians from all different backgrounds. At Navitas Skilled Futures (NSF) we celebrate our amazing staff and clients who have overcome adversity to find a sense of belonging with us. 

Harmony Week is a time to celebrate Australia’s rich cultural diversity and foster inclusiveness, respect, and a sense of belonging for everyone. At Navitas Skilled Futures (NSF), we are excited to celebrate this year’s theme, “Everyone Belongs,” across our campuses in Sydney’s Southwest, Melbourne and Canberra from Monday 17 March to Sunday 23 March.

Throughout the week, our colleges will host special Harmony Week celebrations, bringing together staff and students to celebrate our shared values of freedom, respect, fairness, democracy and equal opportunity.

To show support for cultural diversity and an inclusive Australia, staff and students are encouraged to wear orange, the official colour of Harmony Week.

With many clients from a refugee or migrant background studying with us, there is perhaps nowhere better to celebrate this year’s theme than at one of our colleges, where everyone is encouraged to make connections and thrive in Australia regardless of background, race, religion or experience.

As we embrace the theme “Everyone Belongs,” we are proud to highlight some of the inspiring individuals in our community who have found a sense of belonging at NSF.

Perhaps it was best put by our Program Manager for Government Services Aaron Caulfield, who said that for many refugees in particular, language is the best path to belonging and NSF becomes a safe hub for them.

“At Navitas Skilled Futures, what we often hear from students is we’re their second family,” he said.

“No refugee chooses to leave their home; they’ve been forcibly displaced. They come here with no support network. We are their support network – they come to Navitas, and not only do they learn English, but they find a community. They find people who they can talk to, who can guide them in the right direction.”

In celebration of Harmony Week, here are some of our inspiring teachers and clients who are finding their place, and their home, with the help of NSF.

Nhu: From Isolation to Empowerment

When Nhu first arrived in Australia in 2020, she struggled with the language barrier and felt isolated. Enrolling in NSF’s Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) in 2023 changed everything for her. The AMEP is funded by the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs.

“From a person who was very shy to communicate with others, now I am not shy when someone talks to me. All my communication confidence is thanks to Navitas improving me,” she shared.

Now, just two years later, Nhu works at NSF providing bilingual support for new Vietnamese students, offering the same guidance she once needed.

“I learned English, I found a good job, and I found a community at Navitas,” she said.

“All of these things made my settlement journey much smoother.”

Beheshta: A New Life and New Opportunities

Beheshta came to Australia as a refugee seeking a better life for herself and her daughter after fleeing the Taliban in Afghanistan. She has embraced new opportunities at NSF Fairfield and is building a future.

“I feel I’m free, I can fly!” she said.

“Life is different here—women can do everything! I don’t just have to stay at home to take care of my baby, I can study.”

Through NSF’s Pathways to Work – Beauty Industry program, she gained skills, completed a successful work placement at KISS Cosmetics Liverpool, and was offered a job.

“Navitas helps us, not just with English, but with our whole lives,” she said. “They find work opportunities, help us with resumes, and support us through difficulties.”

Gulshan: A Teacher Who Gives Back

Gulshan was a teacher in Iraq but left the country amid civil unrest. She arrived in Australia in 1997 and faced the challenge of adapting to a new language and culture.

After raising her children, she pursued her own path to belonging, studying a Masters in TESOL as a mature aged student.

She says she found her calling again—teaching English to migrants and refugees at NSF.

“In my classroom, I give my students love,” she said.

“I let them know that they are wanted and safe, and that we’re all equal. I have seen so many settle amazingly, totally transformed.”

Jwana: Rebuilding Life from Scratch

Jwana fled Iraq in 2014 and arrived in Australia in 2022. Though she held a civil engineering degree, she knew she needed to improve her English to rebuild her career.

So, she enrolled at her local NSF college and began to improve her language skills, making friends and connections along the way.

“At NSF, I was encouraged by the teachers and made a lot of friends,” she said. “NSF is like your second home.”

Mariam: Aiming for the Skies

Maryam, who arrived in Australia 11 months ago with no English, has transformed her language and digital skills by studying the Skills for Education and Employment (SEE) program at NSF Parramatta.

With support from staff, she is now preparing to apply for her dream job with Qantas.

“Navitas helped me improve my language and guided me through applying for jobs,” she said.

“I am really grateful for them.”

Navitas Skilled Futures is thrilled to celebrate the journeys, challenges, and triumphs of our diverse community this Harmony Week.

Join us in celebrating Harmony Week 2025 – attend an event, wear orange, and embrace the theme “Everyone Belongs.”

For those seeking English language training for themselves or their loved ones, visit navitas-skilled-futures.com.au