Refugee experiences of finding decent work in the Australian construction industry

Australia has a long history of successfully resettling refugees. However, refugees are over-represented in the ranks of the unemployed, under-employed and precariously employed and can quickly become frustrated and despondent, as their attempts to gain employment are thwarted by many structural and cultural barriers to obtaining work. While there are many schemes to help refugees and skilled migrants obtain employment, there is a need for new innovative solutions to address this important and growing social problem. To this end, and in addressing the surprising lack of construction research in this area, this paper explores the potential role of construction social procurement in integrating refugees into sustainable employment. A survey of 100 refugees, skilled migrants and asylum seekers who have worked or attempted to seek work in the Australian construction industry reveal many formal and informal institutional barriers to securing meaningful employment. These include: poor social networks and capital; lack of recognition of previous qualifications; racism and discrimination; language problems; visa restrictions; housing instability; and ongoing family problems. It is concluded that many of these problems can be addressed through social procurement intermediaries which encourage greater cross-sector collaboration between the government, construction and third sector organisations.