The Master of Her Own Learning Journey

Astri Candrarini arrived in Brisbane from Indonesia in 2016. Despite holding a Bachelor of Engineering and a Master of Human Resources, she was unable to find work in Australia. According to Astri, having qualifications without Australian work experience felt like “owning a flashy car with no engine—almost useless and undervalued.”

After learning about the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) at TAFE Queensland, Astri was excited for the chance to expand her network and meet others with similar experiences.

The AMEP, which is available at over 50 TAFE Queensland locations, supports the settlement journey of eligible migrants and refugees with free English language classes. The AMEP is funded by the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs.

Immediately after beginning classes in 2018, Astri found the sense of community she had been searching for. After listening to her classmates’ stories and learning about their cultures, she no longer felt alone.

“Many of them were highly educated women who had come to Australia as refugees or on partner visas with outstanding qualifications and work experience from their home countries—doctors, dentists, scientists—but none could find work in their field,” Astri said.

“One of my friends was a neurologist with eight years of experience, yet she had to take a job as a receptionist at a massage clinic. I thought, ‘What a waste of knowledge and experience!’ There was a clear gap in the system, and I believed there had to be a way to bridge it.”

After many discussions with her classmates about the difficulties of establishing an Australian career with no local work experience, Astri decided to organise a gathering where the group could support each other in finding jobs and contributing to society.

The ongoing meeting of this group eventually culminated in the establishment of a student organisation, NESt (Networking for Employment and Settlement). Based at TAFE Queensland, the group supports migrant and refugee students in the AMEP and Skills for Education and Employment (SEE) program as they navigate settlement in Australia.

After establishing NESt, Astri was involved in the group’s first major event: organising an on-campus Sports Day in August 2018. As a component of the event, NESt raised funds for drought-affected farmers and successfully collected a significant amount of money for donation.

In December 2019, the group applied for a grant through the Brisbane City Council and received funding to organise a job fair for AMEP and SEE students at TAFE Queensland’s South Bank campus. As a direct result of the event, four participants secured job interviews and were subsequently hired.

Even after completing the AMEP herself, Astri continued to contribute her time to both NESt and the AMEP, participating in networking events and employability workshops and helping to coordinate volunteer tutors for the AMEP.

After the AMEP, Astri pursued a Diploma of Human Resources Management (BSB50320) and a Certificate II in Cookery (SIT20421) at TAFE Queensland. In 2020, she started working as a cook while completing a Diploma of Hospitality Management (SIT50422) at TAFE Queensland, for which she was awarded Graduate of the Year.

Determined to continue giving back to adult learners, Astri commenced a Diploma of Leadership and Management (BSB50420) at TAFE Queensland in 2022. While studying, she began working as a Project Officer at the Queensland Association of School Tuckshops.

Following the completion of her third Diploma, Astri was awarded a TAFE Queensland scholarship to study a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (TAE40122) in 2023.

Today, Astri has her sights set on a PhD. While working full-time as a trainer and assessor in Brisbane, she is studying a Master of Education at the University of Queensland. Her ultimate goal is to one day become part of the TAFE Queensland family and continue working to support migrant learners.

“I want to be able to teach, especially migrants and women. I want to empower women so they know that nothing is impossible. If you really want it, you can get it – nothing is impossible,” she said.

“Moving to a new country is not easy – I have climbed my way up little bit by little bit, and here I am now. I just want to build my life and inspire other migrants.”Article content goes here.