NELLEN supports 28 migrant and refugee youth in employment program

The 15-year-old was struggling; he found it hard to communicate with his peers and teachers. Why did they put him in a school where everyone was so different to him?

"In a couple of years, you'll understand why," his Dad assured him.

Julius, who is Congolese, now appreciates those difficult first years in Australia.

Being 'thrown in the deep end' sped up his English language acquirement.

"I think my whole life, I've been adopted," he joked.

"I left my family when I was seven years old - that's when we got separated. I then moved from Congo to Kenya, I lived with a Kenyan family for seven years.

"When I went to the UNHCR, they said, 'We can't have you, you need to find your parents. You need to find a guardian'."

Julius didn't give up.

As one of countless refugees and asylum seekers in Kenya - who numbered 494,289 in July this year - he was grateful to gain a hearing at the Australian Embassy in Nairobi.

"I went with my friend - they were interviewing people who were coming to Australia, and she said to me, 'Are you here with them?'," Julius said.

"I said no, and then she started asking me questions. Then when I went back there, they said they would help get me to go to Australia."

He was adopted after he came to Australia alone, and up until the second wave of COVID-19, had been living in Melbourne.

"I've got family here [in Wodonga] - I've been coming here since 2015," Julius said.

"But this year, I couldn't go back to Melbourne, so I stayed here."

Julius has been working at Merriwa Industries, as one of 28 participants in an employment support program delivered by the North East Local Learning and Employment Network (NELLEN).

The 22-year-old has now gained fulltime work, with his leadership skills and quick wit making him a popular new member.

'Keys to Unlocking Our Future' has focused on young refugees and migrants in Albury-Wodonga, giving them the skills needed to enter the workforce and direct pathways into businesses.

Border Benchtops and Peards in Albury, Cool Off in Howlong and the Woolworths Distribution Centre in Barnawartha are among the employers who have opened their doors to participants.

Janet Banda, CALD project co-ordinator at NELLEN, signed on her first participants in January.

"The whole model was for the young people to come in, learn as much as they can and build their confidence and their independence to go and successfully look for work," she said.

"They attended workshops with different professionals, like a know your rights workshop.

"It's what young people need to know when they start a job."

Employers often want job-seekers to have a licence and their own car, which many refugees do not have.

Employers want proven experience in Australia, even if applicants worked in their country of birth.

Their options have been limited before they even make it to an interview.

The participants in NELLEN's six-month program had mostly resettled from Congo and Rwanda.

Ben Nshizirungu spent some time working at Cool Off, in their packing and distribution department, and COVID-19 meant his activities through the program were put on pause.

The 20-year-old has been living in Wodonga for two years and receives some support from Janet in connecting with employers and translating paperwork.

He's currently working at Watch Box Winery in Indigo Valley.

"I stayed in Townsville for one week and then came here," Ben said.

"This is a good place, it's a nice place to stay with your family. Even the weather, everything."

Jemma Toohey, who runs Watch Box Winery, said Ben had been working with her for a month now.

"I've put him with my niece who is a qualified chef, and she works with him for a couple of hours every Saturday," she said.

"He is learning the lay of the land of being a kitchen hand, which is all very new to him.

"He's a lovely, intelligent young man."

Ms Toohey, through her role at the Albury Wodonga Volunteer Resource Bureau, has seen doors open for hundreds of new arrivals - they just need the initial opportunity.

"It's sometimes a matter of just taking the extra time to explain things," she said.

"The upside of that is he's so willing to learn. He works hard, and in hospitality, that's what you need.

"It's really important to give people a chance. They want to make money, be independent and give back, that's absolutely the case."

Ben's friend and fellow participant Andrew Ndayishimiye can't wait to work.

He is currently working shifts through Menulog, but is pursuing a promising opportunity as a translator at Centrelink.

While many residents of Albury-Wodonga are monolingual, Andrew can speak English, Swahili, Lingala, Kinyarwanda and to a lesser extent, Kirundi.

"Congo is in the middle of Africa, so I used to travel around," Andrew explained.

"In August 2016, I came here.

"My uncle was already here, he came straight to Wodonga and when we went to Townsville, he said 'come over, Wodonga is a nice place'.

"So we ended up here.

"I went to high school for two years, at Wodonga Senior Secondary, in 2018 and 2019."

COVID-19 has limited Andrew's work opportunities this year, but the NELLEN program has helped him make plans for the future.

"We learned a lot; how to find a job, how to write a cover letter, how to approach [businesses]," he said.

"The more you do different jobs, the more you increase your experience.

"Janet really cares about us and wants us to find an opportunity."

NELLEN and agencies that have supported the program are hopeful it can be run again in the future, with the Victorian government funding it this year.

Janet has handed out her certificates for the program, with it officially coming to an end, and will keep in touch with the young people who have found work.

"The businesses who have taken these young people have seen how resilient they are, how hard working they are," she said.

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"That's a message we'd like send to other businesses that want to diversify their staff. If only these opportunities can be opened for these young people."

As for Julius, he's looking at taking some time off at Merriwa to help his Dad.

"He has been calling me; he has a cattle station in central Queensland," he said.

"It's beautiful working with all different people, I like it."