A partnership between sixth generation Tongala meat processing company, HW Greenham & Sons, and Victorian employment and education provider Qualify has resulted in workers from the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme being offered a free English course.
The Qualify company offered the four classes (three based at Tongala and another at Echuca) a typical Australian barbecue experience in the second week of December after the initial four weeks of their class ended for the Christmas break.
Qualify specialises in working with PALM workers and delivers the English program across four Victorian regions — Gippsland, south coast of Victoria, Wimmera Mallee and the Goulburn Murray.
Qualify chief executive officer Donna McMahon said the program was a testament to the dedication of the trainers and the incredible efforts of these workers.
“They are building skills and pathways to a bright future in Australia,” she said.
“It’s about more than learning — it’s about creating opportunities where diversity and connection thrive in our regional communities.”
Workers will attend two classes a week, focusing on foundation skills of English — literacy, numeracy and digital technology — as well as units to help them in their working environment.
The workers involved in the course are from Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste and Vanuatu, with the classes held at the Tongala Community Activity Centre — as well as Qualify headquarters in Echuca.
HW Greenham & Sons recruitment training officer Mark Garrard said the company had been working for two years to make the classes a reality.
“Qualify is the group that has allowed this to happen. We’ve had the program in place at Moe for the last two years, but it has taken us a while to make it happen here,” he said.
Mr Garrard said the workers had arrived in Australia both scared and excited, leaving their families at home and in many cases arriving with very little English and limited education.
“Most of them do not speak much English and we’ve had to adapt work instructions by using visual prompts.
“They are really hard workers at the plant and I am sure they will apply themselves just as much to the English lessons. After all, this is a big part of their pathway to permanent residency.”
Mr Garrard said the English lessons would enable the workers to integrate into Australian life and deal with things like buying medicine from a pharmacy, making necessary appointments with essential providers and with other general life skills
“It was Darren Maloney’s (HW Greenham & Sons chief operating officer) vision to make them feel welcome here,” he said.
A large percentage of the HW Greenham & Sons workforce have multicultural backgrounds, but Mr Garrard said the company was always looking for Australian workers.
Another vital cog in the delivery of the course to the PALM workers is Samara Keen, site manager for the FIP group (Food Industry People).
She said every one of the workers would be given the opportunity to obtain the necessary skills to enhance their lives both here in Australia and in their own country.
The program will allow the participants to enhance their English proficiency, which is a key requirement for securing a 482 bridging visa and pursuing permanent residency in Australia.
The Qualify group has been able to offer a program that will be ongoing for current and new arriving workers, empowering the HW Greenham & Sons workers to fully integrate and thrive in their new home.
Workers live not only in Tongala, but also Echuca, Merrigum and Shepparton.
Mr Garrard said initiatives like this were essential for helping these kind, humble, and hard-working individuals make Australia their permanent home.
“Their commitment to bettering their lives aligns with the values of our community, and we’re proud to support their journey.”
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