Employment pathways Western Sydney

Following our research that showed the need for coordinated and targeted efforts to establish dedicated pathways for refugee employment, a series of initiatives have been launched in Western Sydney.

One of these is the expansion of employment accelerator events in the Blacktown and surrounding areas of Western Sydney. Our report recommended that SydWest’s Employment Accelerator events be continued and expanded. So, the Sydney Greater West CaLD and Migrant Employment Working Group has hosted 8 Employment Accelerator events in Western Sydney since 2023. More than 500 job seekers have participated over the years, with many receiving employment offers as a result.

Employment Accelerators allow skilled migrant and refugee job seekers to connect directly with local employers across diverse industries to kick-start their careers in Australia. They create direct pathways for job vacancies to be filled, support on-the-spot interviews and connections, and provide advice on getting qualifications recognised and building up work readiness.

The Working Group has been collaborating with member organisations to pilot new programs, from driving simulators in Blacktown–based on the evaluation finding that driving a car is a key factor in gaining employment–to rolling out a pathway program for overseas trained engineers, for pilot in 2026.