About the Strategic Engagement Coordination program
The Strategic Engagement Coordination (SEC) program works to strengthen settlement outcomes of culturally and linguistically diverse communities (CALD) through a strengths-based community engagement approach. It is collaborative in nature engaging a range of key stakeholders across the sector including government, community services and community members to identify and understand the issues, needs, gaps and barriers that prevent migrant, refugee and asylum seeker communities from achieving social and economic mobility. Our work is part of a state-wide initiative in which SEC’s collectively advocate for and find solutions to achieve greater sector coordination, collaboration and service delivery outcomes for migrant, refugee and asylum seeker communities.
Our latest projects include:
CALD Women’s Mentoring Project – community consultations and sector service mapping identified a strong need for CALD women to have access to intensive, face-to-face, regular support in the form of mentoring to overcome barriers to education and employment. Our experience and project outcomes show that well trained mentors can make a difference in helping CALD women navigate education, training, employment and the complex cultural expectations and barriers that impact their lives.
Inspired By You – connects the business sector with the most disadvantaged schools in the south-eastern region of Victoria and provides schools with access to professional mentors in a range of STEM careers designed to inspire and motivate young girls into STEM careers. This project is community need driven and responds to the lack of role models young girls from refugee and migrant backgrounds have and the challenges and pressures placed upon them that can restrict their opportunities for greater economic mobility and independence.
City of Casey Public Transport Pilot – responds to the lack of awareness, confidence and knowledge of public transport options within the City of Casey through piloting a program that offers local residents, in particular those of refugee and migrant background the opportunity to be informed and supported to access local transport in their neighbourhood. This program encourages new and existing CALD groups to embrace this public transport options, promoting settlement values of self-efficacy and acculturation in their local community.
Alcohol and Other Drugs / Mental Health Project – a research and community co-design project to explore the barriers CALD communities face in understanding and addressing Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) issues in their community. The project aims to address service and delivery gaps across the Mental Health and AOD sector to achieve stronger health outcomes for CALD communities in the south-eastern region of Victoria.
“It has been wonderful to meet a woman from a different cultural background to my own and work towards achieving her vocational goals. I am also enjoying learning more about educational and employment services available to unemployed migrant women and assisting in a very practical way in the job search process,” – Mentor.
Funded by the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing, our Women’s Mentoring program was co-designed with CALD women and is delivered through the SEC program.
