Western Australia

Integrated Services Centres were established in Western Australia in January 2007 to provide a centralised and holistic program offering a number of specialised culturally appropriate services to African Humanitarian Program entrants using schools as hubs for service delivery. Included is a health and education program with orientation and cultural transition support. Services are provided by trained professionals, including psychologists and trauma counsellors, migrant health community nurses and multicultural community liaison workers.

There are Integrated Service Centres at two sites, Koondoola Primary School in the northern metropolitan area and Parkwood Primary School in the south. Both schools have an Intensive English Language Centre and provide services to both the students and their families.

The project is a partnership between the Office of Multicultural Interests, the Department of Education and Training and the Department of Health. The project’s steering committee also includes representatives from the WA Department for Child Protection, the federal Department of Immigration and Citizenship, and Centrelink.

Western Australia’s Ethnic Youth in Sports Program addresses the barriers currently faced by young people from some cultural backgrounds in engaging in mainstream sporting activities. It is a joint initiative of the Department of Sport and Recreation and the Office of Multicultural Interests. Projects are designed and implemented by the project’s strategy group, which comprises representatives from these departments and the WA Sports Federation, the Australian Asian Association and local government.

The project has followed a model of national best practice through collaboration and partnerships with local, community and state organisations, as well as linking into the well-resourced facilities and programs offered within the City of Stirling. So far, the activities have included a multicultural women’s exercise group, a netball education program for female students at an intensive English centre, an indoor soccer program and a female-only swimming program.

The Training Subsidies Program aims to address the relatively low level of cultural diversity among apprentices and trainees in Western Australia. It involves a partnership between the Office of Multicultural Interests and the Department of Education and Training.

Extra Edge Community Services has been contracted to develop a best practice model to increase the diversity of those taking up apprenticeships and traineeships for implementation by group training organisations and other relevant organisations. The project will place and support a minimum of 20 people in apprenticeships or traineeships. It is also raising awareness of apprenticeship and traineeship opportunities among diverse communities and encouraging receptiveness among employers.

Extra Edge has partnered with group training organisations Skill Hire in Geraldton and Directions in Midland, and community organisations Joblink Midwest in Geraldton and Rainbow Coast Community Services in Albany to deliver the project. The project commenced in March 2008 and is due to be completed in March 2009.