Navitas Skilled Futures (NSF) prepares extra education resources to meet influx of refugee arrivals 

Australia welcomed an increased number of humanitarian arrivals in February, and English language skills will be paramount to their settlement journey. NSF colleges across southwest Sydney and Canberra are preparing to meet the new arrivals with education and hope this month.

NSF colleges across southwest Sydney and the ACT have prepared extra resources to support an expected increase in refugee enrollments in the next month, after Australia welcomed an influx of refugee arrivals in February. 

Following a Request for Tender process, the Department of Home Affairs entered into an agreement with Toll Remote Logistics Pty Ltd (Toll) to deliver the Assisted Passage Program, effective from 1 November 2023.  The Assisted Passage Program provides travel, medical and related services globally for Refugee and Humanitarian Program entrants to facilitate their travel to Australia, and is critical to the successful delivery of Australia’s humanitarian program. 

Navitas delivers the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) to refugees and migrants on behalf of the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs.  

The program provides free English-language and digital skills training for migrants and refugees and includes the vocational Pathways to Work program, bespoke short courses and modules, and the Volunteer Tutor Scheme, which provides additional at-home one-on-one support.  

NSF’s Program Manager for Government Services Aaron Caulfield said NSF is organising additional capacity for AMEP classes to effectively meet the predicted rise in demand, with students expected to begin enrolling in April and May. 

“We’re preparing extra resources that include classrooms, teachers, bilingual support and pathway guidance,” Aaron said.  

Aaron said the AMEP is a critical part of refugees’ settlement journeys. 

“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. It could be war, it could be torture, it could be trauma. There are various reasons, and they come here with no support network – no one to turn to when they need help or assistance. 

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.” 

Refugees and migrants studying at NSF benefit from staff and trainers who understand their lived experience firsthand.  

Basim Shamaon is NSF Stakeholder Engagement Manager for Fairfield and Cabramatta colleges, responsible for connecting with students, service providers, government and non-government agencies and the wider community.

He arrived in Australia as a refugee from war-torn Iraq in 2005 and learned English at Fairfield High School, where he threw himself into volunteering; a passion that persists to this day.  

Basim said he and other staff members who have lived experience of the settlement journey can offer unique support to clients. 

“I faced those challenges too, and I struggled a lot. But I found my place in this country, and my message to newly arrived migrants and refugees is that you can too,” he said. 

“It isn’t always easy – in fact, it can be very tough and lonely. In my role as Stakeholder Engagement Manager I try to make that transition easier for people. Learning English is in my experience one of the best ways to approach your settlement journey and undertaking the AMEP delivered by NSF is the best way to get there.”   

Originally from Iraq, Fairfield trainer Hiba Mokhles moved to Australia after many years of studying linguistics in 2016, and she takes a holistic approach in her classroom to give students the best possible outcome.  

“In class I provide a variety of meaningful and authentic communicative experiences within syllabus guidelines to cater for a range of adult students,” she said. 

“I not only listen, but also coach and mentor my students. I have tried to help students shape and achieve their goals. I am always seeking new ideas and ways to contribute to the students.” 

NSF also offers practical skills courses to settle into life in Australia under the AMEP, including English for Driving, English for Citizenship, and the Pathways to Work program. 

“We also try and build classes around any of their needs that they identify; we can create bespoke courses,” Aaron said. 

Aaron said the AMEP changes people’s lives and encouraged eligible newly arrived refugees to enrol with NSF: “We see people who come to us scared and traumatised and they thrive afterwards. They absolutely change and grow into, really, who they should be. I think that’s a great outcome of the AMEP.”