The Westmead Connectivity Centre and Metro Assist recently hosted an open day and barbecue for 36 recently-arrived migrants and people from refugee backgrounds, to showcase opportunities for careers in construction.

Metro Assist CEO Lou Bacchiella said the session highlighted the hidden talent already in our communities, with more than half the participants having had overseas experience and qualifications ranging from trade to high-level engineering skills.

“A major hurdle to skilled migrants and refugees is the complex and expensive process of having qualifications assessed and undergoing retraining, with no job guarantee at the end because they don’t have local industry experience,” he said. “We believe the way forward is to match people’s skills with employer needs and to give this cohort a hand up in gaining local experience and staying connected to their profession.”