The Economic Pathways to Refugee Integration Program

Our EPRI program offers refugees in Southwest and Greater Western Sydney a pathway into employment through a combination of targeted training and work experience in the fields of supply chain logistics and retail. The program aims to address the traditional employment barriers facing refugees when they try to enter the workforce in Australia by providing them with the skills, confidence and support they need and connecting them with employers offering work opportunities.

The role of the English tutor is to support participants in the EPRI program to develop the English language skills they need to succeed in their field. Through one-on-one support in the workplace, the goal is for participants to achieve a functional level of English allowing them to work and undertake vocational training, by focusing on industry-specific vocabulary and language skills.

The Volunteer Role

The English tutor will be assigned one or two EPRI program participants and provide one-on-one language support to each participant once a week for an hour, preferably on-site (Vinnies shop or distribution centre). The tutoring sessions will focus on either supply chain logistics or retail language skills based on the participant’s pathway of choice. The tutor will be provided with industry-relevant supporting materials, and encouraged to suggest new ideas and approaches to support participants’ learning.

The volunteers we are seeking will ideally:

• Have English teaching experience and be passionate about supporting refugees settle in a new country;

• Be mindful of the specific challenges refugees face and of the trauma they might carry;

• Be welcoming, kind, encouraging and positive in their approach to teaching;

• Be interested in developing an innovative program that addresses the needs of refugees who might find it challenging to learn English in a traditional classroom setting;

• Be willing to work within the ethos of the St Vincent de Paul Society.

  If you are interested in becoming a much-valued Vinnies volunteer, please hit the APPLY button below.

Vinnies The St Vincent de Paul Society NSW (Vinnies) assists people experiencing poverty and inequality and works to shape a more just and compassionate society. We assist in offering “a hand up” to people in need. We do this by respecting their dignity, sharing our hope, and encouraging them to take control of their own destiny. The St Vincent de Paul Society NSW is committed to being a Child Safe Organisation. Vinnies has developed a clear, accountable and transparent Policy and Procedures to ensure that it complies with relevant legislation and that all children and young people who come into contact with Vinnies are kept safe and are supported to the best of our capacity. St Vincent de Paul Society NSW is an Equal Opportunity host and is committed to engaging a diverse workforce. Vinnies strongly encourages applications from people from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander background, people with disability, people from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds and mature aged applicants.