AMES helps immigrants improve their English language skills, laying the path to employment
When Roopashree (Roopa) Srikantarao moved to Australia in 2015 she hoped her pathway to employment would be a smooth one.
She had studied a Bachelor of Computer Science at Visweswaraiah Technological University in India and worked at the local council.
However Roopa found it hard to find suitable work for her skills or secure an interview once her and her husband had moved to Melbourne.
Roopa’s friend suggested she contact AMES Australia, the acknowledged leading provider of comprehensive settlement services for migrants, refugees and asylum seekers. The services provided extend across humanitarian settlement, education and vocational training, employment and social participation programs.
An AMES Australia consultant did an assessment of Roopa’s English skills and advised that some improvements were required, which AMES Australia could help her achieve.
The consultant suggested Roopa complete a Certificate 3 in English and join a volunteer tutor class which helped her improve her communication skills.
Roopa then joined an AMES Australia English for Professionals course which give her insights into tailoring her resume and writing a cover letter when seeking employment.
AMES Australia volunteer tutors also helped Roopa finetune her resume and offered her support along the way. “It took my confidence to the next level,” Roopa said, “Now I am confident about getting into the job market.”
As part of the AMES Australia course, Roopa secured two weeks work experience at Telstra as a business analyst. “This work place provided me with information and experience about Australian work culture, team work, and the latest technology and trends,” Roopa said. “Overall I had the best work experience, even though it was only two weeks.”
Now, with increased confidence entering the job market, Roopa hopes to soon secure work as an entry-level administration executive.
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