Temora and Leeton shire councils are part of a regions-focused program providing people from migrant and refugee backgrounds with lifestyle and job opportunities. Photo: Rawpixel.
The Temora and Leeton community is taking part in a state program to attract new migrant residents, offering lifestyle and employment opportunities if they relocate from Sydney.
The New South Wales Growing Regions of Welcome (GROW) pilot program, initiated through Multicultural NSW, aims to connect interested people from migrant and refugee backgrounds living in western Sydney with job prospects in regional NSW.
Temora and Leeton have been selected in the Riverina to be part of the program, which was officially launched in Leeton at the end of June.
Temora Shire Council economic development manager Craig Sinclair said Temora was one year into the three-year program.
“We’re really excited as now we’re at a point at which we can start positively impacting people’s lives,” he said.
Economic development manager Craig Sinclair is passionate about supporting the economic growth of the Temora Shire. Photo: Temora Shire Council.
“It is for both people looking to set up a new life in Temora from western Sydney and the employers who are desperate for skills to grow and continue their business.”
Mr Sinclair said the first year focused on putting the structure in place, which involved a western Sydney hub that had been contracted to Red Cross.
“The employment hub goes through different employment service providers and community groups to try and source people of migrant and refugee backgrounds who have already settled in Australia and might be looking at secondary resettlement from western Sydney to the Riverina,” Mr Sinclair said.
“The program addresses the skills shortage in the region, and we’re looking for people to become part of our communities permanently.”
The Embrace Temora Committee is involved in welcoming and assisting in relocating people coming through the GROW program.
The committee focuses on housing, health, education and employment.
Mr Sinclair said when a candidate had been matched with an employer and accepted a position, the welcoming committee worked with them to understand their needs and interests.
“We then match the candidates with the people in the community that help make the relocation seamless and integrate them into the community as much as possible,” he said.
“We know the people of refugee background will have additional challenges and needs that we need to support more than people who have been here (in Australia) for a while.
“We are setting up the processes to support the candidates for the pre-arrival, the day of arrival and up to two to three months and beyond if they need it.”
He said hopefully, beyond the two to three months, the new residents would be able to get on with their lives without a great deal of support.
Mr Sinclair said expressions of interest had been sent to local employers inviting them to register for the program.
He said the committee then would hold face-to-face interviews with those employers to ensure they understood the scheme and their obligations and that they were ready as an organisation to have the process and structures in place to participate.
“We can then start taking the employer’s job vacancies and matching them up with people in Sydney.”
If you’re an employer in Temora interested in participating in the GROW program, contact Mr Sinclair at the shire council.
Interested Leeton employers should contact Michelle Evans at Leeton Shire Council.
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