Media Release

The TAFE NSW students who participated were migrants or refugees learning English as part of the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP). This program is funded by the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs. The workshop aimed to build students' practical disaster preparedness skills while addressing some of the specific challenges multicultural communities can face when accessing emergency information and support.

TAFE NSW AMEP Regional Coordinator Kylie Warner said the workshop was a valuable opportunity for students to build knowledge that could benefit them, their families, and the wider community. “For many new migrants, knowing how to prepare for and respond to a natural disaster can be challenging. This workshop gave our students the knowledge to feel better prepared, confident, and resilient in an emergency, including how to access local community support services,” Ms Warner said.

“Learning English is about more than building language skills; it’s also about giving people the confidence and knowledge to participate fully in their new communities.

“Understanding how to prepare for and respond to disasters is an important life skill. Workshops like this help build TAFE NSW students’ understanding of how disaster preparedness works in Australia, so they can take that knowledge home to their families and share it with their communities.”

Australian Red Cross Project Lead NSW Recovery Services Capacity Grant, Felicity Lochhead, said connecting with multicultural communities to encourage their involvement in disaster preparedness was important.

“Effective disaster preparedness relies on everyone having access to information they can understand and act on. By engaging directly with culturally and linguistically diverse communities, we can help ensure people know where to find trusted information and support before, during and after an emergency,” she said.

“Through our emergency services opportunities, volunteers can also use their language skills and cultural knowledge to help communities access support during disasters. Diverse volunteers play an important role in helping us reach more people with preparedness and recovery information when it matters most.”

Media contact: Rob Virtue, TAFE NSW Communications Specialist, 02 7920 5000.

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