Employment Program

ASSET (Asylum Seeker Service for Employment & Training) is a pioneer of asylum seeker employment and education services in Australia. Since it began in 2004, it has assisted over 600 asylum seekers in all areas of employment and training. It’s a crucial service, as without work most of our clients have no access to income support and would be left destitute if not for the efforts of the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre.

Volunteer - Mary Ferguson

Volunteer - Mary Ferguson

"There’s a really interesting mix of people of all ages and backgrounds working and volunteering at ASSET. It is a really healthy work environment because although the program is run professionally, there isn’t the obvious hierarchy that exists in some workplaces. At ASSET your skills and experience are appreciated and you are made to feel valued as a worker."

Asylum Seeker - Eidreiss Abdulrahman

Asylum Seeker - Eidreiss Abdulrahman

"ASSET was very supportive. My employment advisor had a great understanding of how things work in Australia and gave me the guidance I needed. She helped me into a course with William Anglis where I obtained a food handling certificate. She also referred me to ASRC Catering where I work now.” Edriess has been with ASRC Catering since 2005.

John Dever - Employer/Supporter

Speaking about ASSET employment services and his worker, Ibrahim: “Ibrahim has been fantastic for us. We had a staffing need and he fitted it perfectly. His humour and good nature are first class. He loves his job because he sees it as important and he takes it seriously. The other staff members have a lot of respect for him because he works so hard. It was good having the contact with ASSET. I knew that I had the support if there were any issues that needed to be raised with Ibrahim. The whole process was very simple. It was the easiest recruitment arrangement I’ve made in 36 years."

What We Do

ASRC Employment is not about charity, but about supporting asylum seekers to contribute to their local community by utilizing their particular skills and knowledge, their resilience and ingenuity. It’s also about assisting local Employers to access a largely untapped pool of skilled workers with ease and efficiency.

Link to ASSET Website - external site

ASSET has 8 areas of operations, each meeting the particular employment and training needs of asylum seekers. They are:

Employment Casework – Intensive one-to-one employment advisory service. The Employment Casework service supports asylum seekers to overcome barriers by building structured pathways to employment.
Education and Training Unit – Education advisory and advocacy service. The unit develops education and training pathways to employment. This includes approaching education providers to resource low fee and fee-waiver tertiary courses.
Reverse Marketing Unit – Partnership development service. Utilising professional networks, the unit develops partnerships with employers to create conduits to employment for asylum seekers.
ASSET Cleaning Link - Social enterprise that matches skilled asylum seekers with people requiring domestic cleaning and gardening services.
Job Club - Group training program that provides a space for clients to meet regularly for support and guidance in locating and applying for employment.
Work Experience Unit - The unit resources and provides structured work experience programs within local businesses to equip asylum seekers with hands-on Australian experience
Job Search - Intensive job search / application service for job ready asylum seekers
Wednesday Night Clinic – Employment and training transition program for Permanent Residents who were 'onshore' asylum seekers.