Internship in the Health and Community Sectors for Bilingual
Students
NMIT and Brotherhood of St LaurenceRachel Wilson
Christine Sammut
Innovation Fund Priority Areas
• Addressing skills shortages• Workforce development
What we did• Identifying students
• Off-the-job training
• Matching and Support Structures
• Student Pathways
Identifying students
Off the job training• Combination of ESL and community services
training
• Australian workplace culture and conditions
• Training as bilingual workers
Workplace Matching and Support
• Student goals and research
• Making contact, visiting, meetings
• Communication with supervisors
• Facebook Group
Workplace Hosts• Collingwood Community Information Centre • East Reservoir Neighbourhood Renewal Project• ISIS Community Health Centre• Jesuit Social Services: Sharing Women’s Lives• Metropolitan Fire Brigade, Multicultural Liaison• Multicultural Centre for Women’s Health• North Yarra Community Health• Royal Women’s Hospital Women’s Health Information
Centre
• “I have learnt many new words, web sites which related to health, Australia workplace culture. In the WHIC can offer information, individualised support and referral options on a wide range of women's health issues which I did not know before”.
• “I have learnt a lot, it is very diferent work culture in Australia than in my country, work is done very profecionaly but it is respect betwen bos and employe”.
Pathways
• 4 of original 16 now employed as bilingual health and community workers
• 11 enrolled in higher level courses in the health and community work field