This position represents and advocates on NESB youth issues for the migrant and refugee communities of Fairfield, Liverpool and Macarthur local government areas. The position is a convenor on the Fairfield Youth Worker’s Network and the Liverpool Youth Worker’s Network, and resources the Macarthur Youth Services Network for the Campbelltown area. It represents and advocates on NESB youth issues in Regional Migrant Interagencies, the Fairfield GROW Youth Employment Taskforce and the Transcultural Youth Mental Health Network. By providing background information, resources, cross-cultural awareness training and support for NESB youth programs, this position works with youth services across the region to improve both awareness about NESB youth issues, and facilitates a more coordinated approach to service delivery to the NESB youth community.

On state-wide projects, the worker represents youth issues on the board of Settlement Services Coalition (the representative body for DIMIA-funded settlement workers), and on the DOCS Ethnic Advisory group looking at the Ethnic Affairs Priority Statement. The worker also sits on the management committee of Fairfield Youth Accommodation Service, and is one of the main facilitators of the NESB youth issues network (NYIN). The NESB Youth Policy Worker looks at issues of Access & Equity, Unemployment & Income Support, Education & Training and Mental Health. In addressing these issues, the position works in partnership with local youth and community networks in order to promote and increase participation in services.

This position has also taken on the role of writing policy response papers to government inquiries and discussion papers, and assisting with the development of research and policy development. By developing these projects and encouraging other agencies to participate in policy response, this position works to link policy with everyday work of settlement services and youth work.

The aims of this position are to:

• Identify NESB young people’s needs, particularly from emerging communities, and to find strategies to address them in liaison with relevant agencies and services.
• Identify barriers to NESB youth access to mainstream and ethno specific services and ways to overcome them.
• Develop funding proposals to address gaps in service provision for NESB young people.
• Provide resources and assistance to ethnic specific agencies and youth groups, to initiate/facilitate/support programs which take into account the needs of the target groups.
• To liaise with local, regional and state networks relevant to the needs of NESB youth and to raise the profile of emerging communities at these levels.
• To initiate, facilitate and resource consultation with NESB youth and service providers on issues or policy changes which affect the target group.
• To advocate on behalf of NESB youth in regards to their special settlement needs and other relevant issues.

If you need an interpreter, ring: 131 450

Tell them what language you speak and ask them to call Fairfield Migrant Resource Centre on 9727 0477.