Question 1 - Education for people on bridging visas

Amy:

There are people in my electorate on bridging visas who cannot get the skills they need because they are not eligible for subsidised vocational education like many other visa holders are. What analysis has the department done to examine options like providing access to subsidised TAFE for people on bridging visas that would also bring Queensland in line with other states?

Executive Director for Multicultural Affairs:

Skilling Queenslanders for Work, which is operated by DESBT, has a very broad intake for skilling Queenslanders for work including people on bridging visas as well. If there are any exceptions to that, it would be good for us to know and we could talk to DESBT. That would probably be my initial answer, unless we know the individual circumstances of people who are unable to access the state funded programs.

Amy:

With regard to bridging visas beyond what is already being offered by the ASRA scheme, what analysis has been done for other potential initiatives to help people on bridging visas gain skills and participate fully in the workforce?

Executive Director for Multicultural Affairs:

Our main focus from multicultural affairs from this department’s point of view is through ASRA, but we also work extremely closely with DESBT, employment and small business and training, and DAF, as the minister referred to earlier, so that is agriculture and fisheries, to look for opportunities to fill current employment vacancies—for example, in regional areas—with people from a vast range of backgrounds that we might have a connection to through a range of organisations like Multicultural Australia. There are links that have been created through that collaborative approach which could potentially lead to employment opportunities for people on bridging visas as well.

Question 2 - Schooling costs for people on bridging visas

Amy:

We have been hearing from families on bridging visas who are not eligible for Centrelink and are struggling to meet schooling costs like stationery, textbooks, laptops et cetera for schoolchildren. My question is: does the department have any plans to work with the Department of Education to assist these families and children to ensure they have the resources they need?

Executive Director for Multicultural Affairs:

We have referred a number of those types of matters on to Education Queensland, so I would suggest if possible to link those people directly into Education Queensland through the schools initially. We have had a number of instances where schools will do whatever they possibly can to ensure children get the education they need. That is through the state school system. I cannot say anything about the other schools.