By Candice Boyle
SUDANESE refugee Jacob Solo has travelled further than the average apprentice — about 12,000 kilometres — to establish a career as an electrician but he is finally close to realising his dream.
Mr Solo and his family arrived in Australia last year as refugees in search of security and peace and now after settling into their new life, Mr Solo hopes Australia will help deliver one more wish — an apprenticeship.
“I would like to work part-time in one job and do an apprenticeship in electricity,” Mr Solo said.
He is now looking for a sponsor or business willing to offer him an electrical apprenticeship and hopes his work in and out of refugee camps and his latest work experience with Hobsons Bay City Council will help him integrate into the local workforce.
Mr Solo recently took part in a pilot practical placement program at the council as part of his studies with Adult Multicultural Education Services (AMES) in Footscray.
Mr Solo’s work with the council’s parks and gardens division has also helped AMES forge further links between newly arrived migrants and the West.
Parks supervisor Neville Babb said his perceptions of refugees had changed since working with Mr Solo.
“We expected Jacob to be from a pretty basic farming background with virtually no English,” Mr Babb said.
“I was surprised by how good his English was — well above our expectations … and the guys all ended up fighting to have him on their team.”
Mr Babb said Mr Solo’s skills and work ethic had made him an ambassador for the program.
“He also brought a wealth of knowledge and experience from his volunteer work in the refugee camp in Uganda,” Mr Babb said.
Having completed his schooling before the war in Sudan, Mr Solo attracted the attention of international aid workers in the refugee camp where he assisted in setting up micro-agricultural initiatives and teaching younger refugees about nutrition.
In 1994 Mr Solo travelled to Kampala, the capital of Uganda, to learn electrical installation.
“Because I had studied science, I wanted to further my knowledge in that area,” he said.
After two years studying and working in Kampala, Mr Solo returned to the camp where there were few opportunities to use his new skills.
Mr Solo spent more than 15 years in the refugee camp where he met and married his wife and raised four children before applying to resettle in Australia in 2005.
“We wanted to be part of a country where there is freedom of speech, education, government, and where there is fresh food, water, roads and communication services,” Mr Solo said.
He now hopes his skills will support his family’s new life in the West. If you are interested, or know someone who could sponsor Mr Solo contact AMES practical placement officer Mary Williams on 9926 4781.
