Migrants in Kalgoorlie-Boulder learnt about their rights and responsibilities as a worker in Australia and other concepts in the workplace at an information session yesterday.

Frontier Services Kalgoorlie Community Migrant Service hosted the session to assist newly arrived migrants who have found employment or who are looking for work.

Leading the session, Stephanie Fletcher, Senior Fair Work Inspector with the Fair Work Ombudsman, spoke about things like sick leave, superannuation and types of employment.

Community Migrant Worker Elizabeth Coghill said the session would help boost the confidence of migrants by improving their understanding of workplace practices.

Ms Coghill assists migrants who have arrived within the last five years to access a range of services in the community. After assistance with learning English, employment was the second most common topic which migrants asked her about, closely followed by family-orientated agencies and programs.

“I see many people who are highly motivated to find a job but some newly arrived migrants lack confidence in the English language or experience difficulties in dealing with the bureaucracies of finding work,” she said.

“Sometimes people find their qualifications are recognised but they still cannot find work and this brings in doubts, as it would with anyone who is looking for a job.”

“For migrants there can be additional barriers, such as learning the language or not having a driver’s licence. I assist people with the whole process of how to get a job by working with them and referring to other agencies. This may involve referring a client to an agency for assistance, for example, to write a CV or to get a licence.”

The information session explored employment in Australia. Ms Coghill said for some migrants sick leave and leave without pay are entirely new concepts.

The Kalgoorlie Community Migrant Service, funded through the Department of Immigration and Citizenship’s Settlement Grants Program, has run a number of information sessions this year on topics such the rights of a citizen, how to drive in the outback and how to become an incorporated association.

“We are very grateful to Ms Fletcher and the Office of the Fair Work Ombudsman, Australian Government, for their generous assistance,” Ms Coghill said.