Kangan Institute and Spectrum partnership announced

Students are set to benefit from a partnership between Kangan Institute and Spectrum Migrant Resource Centre, which aims to enhance settlement support, access to work placements and employment pathways for migrants and refugees.

Kangan Institute Chief Executive Officer Sally Curtain met with Spectrum Chief Executive Officer Rebecca Power at Broadmeadows Campus on Wednesday to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to improve opportunities for students and local community.

The partnership will see both organisations joining forces on various initiatives, including:

·         Promoting inclusion for multicultural job seekers.

·         Connecting students to Spectrum’s support programs to aid in settlement.

·         Identifying opportunities for student placements, secondments and employment at Spectrum. This includes connecting individual care students to job opportunities at Spectrum aged care services.

The MOU cements a long-standing relationship which has seen the organisations work on many initiatives, most notably the Parenting in a New Culture program supporting migrant fathers studying at Kangan Institute to adjust to parenting in a new country.

Spectrum and Kangan Institute will soon be launching a new program, Working in a New Culture, for migrant students focusing on rights and protections, and practical tools for navigating employment pathways in the Australian workplace.

Hume is one of the most culturally diverse regions within Greater Melbourne, with almost 40 per cent of Hume residents born overseas, coming from 156 different countries and speaking over 150 languages.

The partnership will set the stage for further collaboration to create meaningful opportunities for culturally diverse students and the local community. This includes exploring opportunities in joint translational research, supporting refugee settlement, and identifying pathways for humanitarian refugees to gain permanent residency.

Comments for attributing, Sally Curtain, CEO Kangan Institute:

“We’re excited to join forces with Spectrum to transform lives, empower our students to thrive and foster a diverse, skilled workforce that reflects the rich tapestry of our community. 

“One of our priorities at Kangan Institute is to provide best-in-class wraparound support and services that our students need to succeed.”

Comments for attributing, Rebecca Power, CEO Spectrum Migrant Resource Centre:

“Access to quality education is essential for economic inclusion and is a key factor in achieving positive settlement outcomes for migrants and refugees.

“With shared values and commitment to our diverse community, this partnership will be instrumental in the settlement journey for many who seek to call Hume 'home'.”