Our Communities

Over the last ten years, there have been approximately 3,124 humanitarian entrants and refugees settling in and around Launceston. Approximately 1,000 of those are from Bhutan and Nepal and many families have settled in the Northern suburbs of Launceston.  Another large cultural group is of people from Afghanistan.  Many other countries and cultures are represented in our new arrivals and include Sudan, Eritrea, Liberia, Burma and the Congo.

Employment and Education

Members actively participate in a wide variety of employment, from unskilled work to professional roles, across the community, government and private sectors.

These community members are involved in all tiers of education, from vocational training to tertiary level. There are significant numbers of community members who have graduated with professional qualifications, and are currently employed locally.

All humanitarian entrants and refugees have the opportunity to participate in an Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP).  This free tuition is for 510 hours.  While it is not compulsory most new arrivals take advantage of this learning opportunity. A number of new community members have relocated to Launceston in order to participate in tertiary education.

MRC provides free employment advice and assistance through a Jobs Club or by one on one appointments.  This assistance can include resumé development, job search skills, finding training opportunities and small business advice.  MRC also conducts specific programs to assist jobseekers to become job ready.  These programs during the past two years have included courses on Jobs in Disability, Creating Brighter Futures, Find Your Way into Work, Self Employment Support for Migrants.  In addition in 2018 and 2019 MRC will conduct 4 intakes of a course titled Jobs in Aged Care and Disability.  This course will provide information on job search skills, Australian workplace culture and systems and include accredited training.  Employer partners for these courses are St Giles and Masonic Care.

OTHER MIGRANT COMMUNITIES

Launceston has a rich history of migration. Early settlers include German, British, Chinese, Polish and Dutch. The European migrants arrived in the 1940s under assisted package schemes and worked on significant infrastructure projects, such as the Hydro Electric Commission. There remains a strong European contingent in the region.