When Sherry Esfandiari is introduced to a new client in her role as Partnership and Employment Manager at Civik People, she knows that helping them secure a source of income isn’t the only task at hand.
“For my clients, it’s also about finding a sense of inclusion, of purpose. And it’s about connecting with other people.”
At any given time, Sherry works with 100 clients to do just this at Civik People, a social enterprise launched by White Box Enterprises in 2019 to help refugees and humanitarian entrants find sustainable employment in Australia.
All Civik People’s clients come to the organisation with a unique story but, says Sherry, they share at least one thing: “The minimum trauma that they are experiencing is displacement. Some might also have experienced torture and war. At Civik People, we work to understand their personal barriers to employment, their strengths, transferable skills and how they can successfully integrate into the Australian workforce.”
To effectively help close this gap and provide the resources needed for this vulnerable cohort, Civik People is supported by the EPRI (Economic Participation for Refugee Integration) program, an initiative by the Department of Home Affairs that empowers social enterprises to assist refugees in gaining skills, confidence and employment.
That assistance can be intense and hands-on, depending on where a client is at in their journey. It might be delivering support on the application process, developing interview skills and offering guidance on the correct attire. It can also be helping to manage the onboarding process, which commonly includes complex mandatory checks – international police checks and working with children checks, for example. “It’s really like solving a puzzle with each client,” says Sherry, recounting the many clients who don’t have the 10 years of formal addresses sometimes needed to pass these checks.
Sherry’s recent work with one client, Elyas, is a perfect example of how essential and layered the assistance can be. Elyas came to Australia from Afghanistan in 2023, and while his family has a highly educated background (his father was a lecturer), Elyas has a mild learning difficulty. When Sherry began working with Elyas, his eagerness to join the Australian workforce was clear. “In our earliest conversations he said to me, ‘Can I start tomorrow? I am ready to do the job.’ I had to explain that there were some phases we had to go through first.”
Crucially, the other part of Civik People’s remit is ensuring that employers offer a suitable environment for this cohort. “We have to understand if there is an inclusive culture in their workplace,” says Sherry. Among Civik People’s current roll call of partner businesses is Ventia, Toyota, Crown Resorts, Accor Hotels and Australia Post. And it was the latter that Sherry thought might be a good fit for Elyas. “I told him that Australia Post might have some casual Christmas-time warehousing work that could end up being a permanent role.”
Together, Elyas and Sherry embarked on the Australia Post screening process. And to best navigate the language barrier between them, the pair mostly liaised via text messages.
From advising Elyas on where to make a medical appointment and the correct identification to submit for his application, to directing Elyas on the right kind of boots to purchase when he landed the job (steel-capped), Sherry was there every step of the way. She also mentored Elyas on how to navigate being late to his first day of training. “Elyas explained to his employer that he needed the induction session and he really wanted this job. And they offered him another induction session that afternoon,” says Sherry, smiling.
“Sherry provided me with consistent guidance and practical support,” says Elyas. “When I received the job offer, I felt excitement and gratitude. It was reassuring to know that my skills were recognised, and it encouraged me to look forward to the next chapter in my life. Having this job is an important step in establishing my life in Australia. It provides financial stability, opportunities for growth, and a sense of security as I build my future here.”
It’s successes like this that make all the work worth it for Sherry and her colleagues at Civik People, who have assisted 447 refugees and humanitarian entrants since 2023 with the support of the EPRI program. “The moment our clients get a job is magnificent. It’s the shine in their eyes, the smile on their faces, the transformation from thinking they don’t deserve anything to knowing they are useful.”
It’s also knowing that her clients can now build a vision for their own futures. This new connection not only enriches the client but their workplace, too. “Having different lenses gives you the ability to think out of the box – because you’ve never been inside the box,” Sherry notes.
For Elyas, the future looks like “continuing to develop personally and professionally, building long-term stability, and creating a meaningful and successful life,” he says. “I want to stay motivated, achieve my goals and make a positive contribution where I live.”
