Sunshine Coast Council has taken out the Multicultural Australia category in the 2020 National Awards for Local Government.
Member for Fairfax Ted O’Brien, joined by Sunshine Coast Council Mayor Mark Jamieson, made the announcement in front of staff and participants of the Migrant Work Ready Program for which Council has been honoured.
“More than 100 entries were received across the nine award categories for this year’s National Awards for Local Government so to take out the Multicultural Australia category is a huge achievement and I want to congratulate Sunshine Coast Council and everyone involved,” Mr O’Brien said.
“These awards celebrate the hard work of our local governments in delivering targeted, quality services to local communities.
“Recent migrants to the Sunshine Coast can face challenges in finding employment. Council’s Migrant Work Ready Program helps them understand Australia’s work culture, overcome the challenges of not having locally-recognised qualifications and provides networking opportunities.”
Sunshine Coast Council Mayor Mark Jamieson said Council reflected the views and sentiments of the region and its communities and that is why supporting a program like the Migrant Work Ready Program is so important.
“Our Sunshine Coast is an increasingly diverse and welcoming community and our Council has always placed a high priority on promoting inclusion and valuing the contributions that new residents add to the economic and social fabric of our region,” Mayor Jamieson said.
Tomasa Tano Alinsonorin who lives at Marcoola but was formerly from the Philippines, participated in the Migrant Work Ready Program in 2019, which helped open up new opportunities for her on the Sunshine Coast.
“The program helps migrants understand Australian work culture and how to apply for a job on the Sunshine Coast,“ Alinsonorin said.
“When I started the program I did not have confidence to apply for a job. Now I understand it’s not just about applying for a job but also about making connections.”
