Monday, 19 February 2018
REFUGEES arriving in Armidale over the next few months are set to benefit from specialised language training at TAFE NSW to ensure they have the skills they need to transition into the community, Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall announced today.
Mr Marshall, who is also the Minister responsible for TAFE NSW, said free language training at TAFE would help the more than 300 refugees expected to arrive in Armidale in the first half of this year to settle into the local community.
“Each adult refugee arriving in Armidale will be enrolled in the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) at TAFE’s Armidale Campus to provide them with language and settlement support and assist them as they settle into the local community,” Mr Marshall said.
“Proficiency in English is one of the keys to ensuring newly arrived refugees are able to integrate into the local community, and I’m delighted the wonderful staff at our local TAFE Campus will be able to provide this assistance.”
Mr Marshall also said the refugees would also be able to access free skills training in eligible courses at TAFE, thanks to financial support from the State Government.
“The refugees will also be able to access free training for qualifications up to a Certificate IV level on the NSW Skills List, meaning they will be able to develop the hands on training and skills they need to find rewarding work and contribute to the local economy,” he said.
More than 300 Iraqi and Syrian refugees are expected to arrive in Armidale from February to July 2018 under the Federal Government’s Humanitarian Resettlement Program. The refugees, many of whom speak Kurdish Kumanji, will receive up to 510 hours of English language tuition under the Federal Government’s Adult English Migrant Program.
Mr Marshall said TAFE had been actively recruiting staff to ensure they are able to meet the expected spike in demand.
“I am proud TAFE NSW and the NSW Government will be providing the assistance required to make the transition for these vulnerable people all the more easier,” he said. “Country communities like Armidale have much to gain from resettling refugees, and I look forward to welcoming these people to our local community.”