AUSCO Exchange Program

Since 2008, RCOA has worked with the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in coordinating exchanges between Australian Cultural Orientation (AUSCO) trainers based in Asia, Africa and the Middle East and staff of Australian-based refugee settlement service agencies. The program involves a two-way exchange between settlement service providers in Australia and trainers delivering the AUSCO Program overseas.

Background on the AUSCO Exchange Program

During 2008-09, RCOA assisted the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in coordinating a Visiting Settlement Adviser (VSA) program. RCOA recruited eight Australian settlement service workers to serve as VSAs with AUSCO teams in Asia, the Middle East and Africa. The VSAs supported the work of the local AUSCO trainers by providing inputs to the design and delivery of training, with the aim of ensure that the content of the AUSCO program reflected up-to-date information on settlement services and issues in Australia.

In 2010, RCOA worked with DIAC and IOM to build on the VSA program by developing the AUSCO Exchange Program, a two-way exchange between settlement service providers in Australia and AUSCO trainers. During 2010, two exchanges took place between Australian settlement service providers and AUSCO trainers: the first in March-April between an AUSCO trainer from Mae Sot, Thailand and Volker Schafer from Centrelink in Perth; and the second between a trainer from Damak, Nepal and Poly Kiyaga from AMES, Victoria in May-June 2010. Volker and Poly and their agencies were chosen for the exchange after a public call for expressions of interest and a recruitment process involving 28 refugee settlement specialists and their organisations.

Current Exchange Program

The current AUSCO Exchange is focuses on youth issues. In October-November 2010, Centre for Multicultural Youth Melbourne and STARTTS in Sydney hosted AUSCO trainers for two weeks. RCOA staff attended the two workshops organised by STARTTS and CMY as part of their hosting duties to gather information from service providers on how AUSCO can be improved for young people. The workshops generated discussion on key areas of concern, including: intergenerational conflict and violence, parenting in Australia, young people’s rights and responsibilities, and how young people’s needs will be met in changes to post-arrival orientation

During December 2010-January 2011, Nadine Liddy from the Centre for Multicultural Youth and Mohamed Baaruud from STARTTS travelled to and will travel to Malaysia and Kenya respectively in to provide input to the local AUSCO teams’ approaches to orientation for refugee young people.

Applying to participate in the AUSCO Exchange Program

Applications for the AUSCO Exchange Program are currently closed.