Skilled migrants face wait to use skills, as Iraqi doctor tells tale of transition

A pilot program is being built to help skilled migrants put their talents to use when they reach Australia but they still face difficulties.

Asseel Yako, sitting with his wife Noor, saved hundreds of lives working during the conflict with ISIS. Picture: Stuart McEvoy.

As he fled his homeland of Iraq and travelled with his family through dangerous conflict zones to Jordan, doctor Asseel Yako knew he hadn’t lost everything.

He had his wife Noor, his four young children, and he had his skills as an internal medicine specialist, developed and honed over two decades of study and experience tending to those horrifically injured in explosions and gunfire during the conflict with ISIS.

But a complex system and a lack of support in Australia meant he found it hard when the family were settled in Melbourne at the start of last year, as he attempted to have his medical qualifications recognised in his new home.

“We were very lucky, we moved here last year in February 2017,” said Mr Yako. “But after we arrived here, we were settled within two months, and I started to go through my pathway (into employment), and it’s very complicated and expensive.”

A pilot program, funded by the federal government and administered by AMES, is working to make this transition easier. The Career Pathways Pilot, which began late last year, is assisting professionals such as Dr Yako navigate these steps and harness their talents to aid integration and help newly arrived migrants settle.

Nationals MP David Gillespie, who has ministerial responsibility for the Settlement Services program, said early signs from the pilot were showing positive results. He will visit the AMES centre in Melbourne on Monday to announce he will seek an additional $5m to double its original funding from last year’s budget.

Iraqi doctor Asseel Yako has struggled to resume his career in Australia. Picture: Stuart McEvoy.

“I’m getting really good signs and early evaluation information which sounds really exciting and I want to supercharge it so the initiatives in the program integrate people with vocations and professional skills,” he said yesterday.

“We have opened our nation’s doors to people from very challenging parts of the world where lives have been torn asunder ... humanitarian entrants have professional skills and I want to see these initiatives in the program expanded so we have a focus on harnessing and harvesting these professional skills.”

Dr Gillespie will also be meeting with key industry representatives and the CEO of the Australian Industry Group Innes Willox in the coming weeks to discuss how key industry sectors can become involved by helping to offer employment opportunities.

Since its commencement, 322 participants have accessed the CPP with most coming from Syria and Iraq. It is aiming to reach 1,200 people.

Dr Yako, who will be eligible for registration in June, said it was a step in the right direction.

“This is my job. I don’t know how to do anything else. I’m not a carpenter. I want to actively participate in the community,” he said. “I want to apply this knowledge and skills to the reality. I don’t want to end up something I hate. I will lose a lot and the community will lose ... I want to help people, this is the way I can help people, through my capabilities.”