EPIC video transcript

Transcript

[Audio] Interviewee - Sandra Abid, EPIC Engineering Cadet: My childhood wasn't easy. My teenagerhood it wasn't easy. I just looked to have better life far from war because I grown up in a country full of war. To take this decision and decide to move, leave everything, leave our jobs with my husband and my three children it wasn't an easy decision at all. Dreaming and hoping that we will come to better country and rebuild our life. With the settlement generally always say the first month you arrive you are in a honeymoon, you are just looking to rebuild your life bring your knowledge experience and skills. However, with challenging of settlement it just take you down. Feeling homesick, feeling I am losing my confidence, I am losing my skills, I need to start from zero. Navigating all the system of settlement like Medicare, bank account, school, hospitals, education and no support, no family. Looking to recognize our qualification I was an engineer my husband was a teacher as well. To find any job and we took about maybe nine months for my husband to get a first opportunity and start working here in a restaurant. So I start hearing about EPIC program in 2020. I attended an information session – it was great for me and bring my motivation back to chase my dream.

[Audio] Interviewee – Angela Brown, Manager, Industry Capability and Development LXRP: EPIC is our Engineering Pathways industry Cadetship. It's an 18-month cadetship that's offered to people exclusively from Refugee and Asylum Seeker backgrounds. It's an opportunity that enables them to work on Victorian transport infrastructure projects for 18 months and also get a graduate certificate in infrastructure Engineering Management through Swinburne University. EPIC provides an untapped talent pool. It provides access to people who are suitably qualified, in many cases have years and years of experience from their home countries. It's needed to not only mitigate these skill shortages that we're experiencing now and that we’ll continue to experience but it's also needed because it enables us to provide opportunities to people who currently don't have those opportunities.

[Audio] Interviewee – Rene Nogueira, Executive Director – Transport and Strategy: When my family immigrated here we had limited chances and I saw my parents struggle. I wish courses like this existed back then. It provides Assam Seekers refugees the opportunity to you could say mold themselves into the infrastructure game that we have in Victoria right now, enable them to be qualified Engineers. So this course now has changed their lives.

[Audio] Interviewee – Kyle Maclean, Senior Talent Leader Metro Trains Melbourne: We see the retention rate within the program is 100% which is fantastic and the industry coming together as a whole to really support these Cadets.

[Audio] Interviewee – Angela Brown, Manager, Industry Capability and Development LXRP: Across the 18 months we provide all Cadets with a mentor and the mentors are volunteers from a range of different professional backgrounds working in the transport infrastructure industry. The cadets feel safe they trust their mentors. By providing employment you really are providing a lifeline to people. You're offering them the opportunity to fully participate in Victorian life.

[Audio] Interviewee - Sandra Abid, EPIC Engineering Cadet: When I feel accepted I kind of bring more. When I feel my job is acknowledged and appreciated I bring more. We just need the time to rebuild our confidence, feel included and be able to bring our best to that all we are doing.