Indeed, faith-based organisations have always been part of the answer to humanitarian disasters, the plight of marginalised populations and questions of pressing social justice. For Christian community-development and displacement organisations in particular, helping refugees get back to work is an ideal extension of their larger vision to do good.

Skilled, motivated and ready to learn, refugees are a largely untapped resource for employers across a number of national industries facing critical labour shortages. The number of refugees who are being resettled in Australia each year represents untapped talent and experience waiting to be used. Refugees are keen to engage with the community, to contribute and to build a new future for themselves – with many having valuable skills that can be brought to the local workforce. Refugees want to contribute to the Australian workforce and play a role in shaping its future.

While conversations about sustainable development tend to default to environmental debates, in reality sustainable development encompasses a much larger and broader aim: creating more inclusive, resilient, and equitable societies. … Embedding refugees into employment routes that allow for inclusion helps to foster more equitable economic growth and job opportunities.

And to survive in an increasingly fast-paced global economy, businesses will need to continue to innovate, think outside the box and diversify in order to scale, grow and compete. Refugees present a talent pool that businesses can tap in order to innovate and develop creative solutions to business problems. Hiring refugees offers a double-dividend. Not only does it address a pressing social need by providing jobs to a population hungry for them, it might also make for a more competitive business.

The journey to the triumph of hopeful employment for many refugees is through adversity. Often having survived tremendous trauma, persecution and violence in their homeland, refugees come to Australia with little more than their families and their hopes. Despite these beginnings, after a long period of struggle, most who have been traumatised go on to lead highly fulfilled and successful lives. The journeys of hope and possibility for many are literally a triumph against great odds and they are yet another example of the relevance of hopeful employment.

Making refugees self-sufficient in the workplace requires engagement among governments, businesses and non-governmental organisations. Government assistance in resettling refugees is essential in providing the necessary tools for refugees to thrive. Yet, corporate engagement can play a critical role in bridging the gap between resettlement and productive employment by facilitating labour market opportunities. This includes partnerships between governments and businesses that provide the keys for refugees to assimilate into their new communities.

For the newcomers, this is also true – that road to a new country is the bumpiest, most insecure and challenging of lives. Fleeing homes, jobs and communities under enormous duress, refugees arriving in Australia seeking safety or to live again will contemplate how to make the impossible possible, a ‘new life’. Fresh in the spirit of positivity that characterises one of the most disadvantaged groups in the community, the first order of business is finding work.

The portrayal of refugees (and often asylum seekers) by the media, few of them as anything other than helpless victims in need of assistance, can feed into stereotypes that rob refugees and asylum-seekers of their skills, resilience and contributions. Reality, however, is that refugees are hardworking and hard-skilled individuals who possess the human capital to benefit their neighbours in their new communities.

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is one of the key ideas of big business nowadays, as doing more good in the world than just making money is important for many companies. There are many means of engaging in CSR, but one the ways to show that your corporation is interested in social good, is hiring refugees. Since many places suffer from labour shortage, it is natural for the companies to try to employ refugees who can enrich the company’s labour force with their creativity and diversity.