"Unfortunately, it was a painful feeling. I lived in the city (Aleppo) and worked there, and I felt like souls were hurting, not broken stones," said Mariam Maghzal.
Mariam Maghzal, 33 years, escaped the horrors of the Syrian war and the destruction in the city of Aleppo, where she worked before the war as an architect; mainly in restoration, documentation and conservation of the ancient buildings aged thousands of years, just to witness them destroyed during the Syrian war.
Mariam escaped from Syria alone in 2016 and spent 10 months in Lebanon before her "Woman in Danger" refugee visa was granted, for Australia to offer her a challenging new life.
“In addition to all the challenges and obstacles faced by any refugee such as language, culture and employment opportunities, I was mostly concerned about the fate of my academic degrees (Bachelor and Masters), my 7 years work experience and what is its value in Australia.” Ms. Maghzal said.
A general picture show the destruction in the old city of Aleppo, Syria, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017. Source: (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
Fortunately, the state government designed a program to help with some of the challenges faced by refugees and people seeking asylum in finding long-term, skilled employment opportunities through the Refugee Employment Support Program (RESP).
The program is provided by Settlement Services International (SSI), working with hundreds of newly arrived refugees.
From here, Mariam's journey began to seek success and stability.
“SSI helped me with my resume, online searches, how to write cover letters and practising interviews,” Ms Mazghal said.
Like all new migrants, new arrivals lack the local work’s experience which is a major obstacle that stops the vast majority of them from being hired in Australia.
Ms. Maghzal said that she was open to any kind of work available, but she was keen to find work related to her field and qualifications.
“I realised, without local work experience on my resume, it would be difficult to find the work that I really want.”
“SSI also managed to get me work experience at the Australian Museum where I worked in the material conservation unit; this volunteering opportunity gave me some work experience and opened the door for me to develop my professional communications network.” Ms. Maghzal said
As a result, she was able to secure a position as an conservation specialist at OCP Architect in Sydney.
Mariam Maghzal
Cynara Moorhouse, refugee employment manager says that Mariam’s story is one of many other success stories in which the program has helped refugees find long-term jobs in their field.
“We are really proud of that outcome, and that’s just one of whole range of employment outcome that we are really proud of. We supported clients to get a job with Google, get a job as a doctor in a local hospital, a whole range of amazing outcome coming through this program,” SSI's employment support program manager, Ms. Moorhouse said.
The newly appointed conservation specialist, Mariam Maghzal, commends Australia's for respecting and appreciating Archaeology and said that this fills her with hope again.
Her interest in heritage preservation comes from her belief that architecture is an embodiment of history, and that preserving the cultural assets of the place can preserve its identity and contribute to its urban revitalisation.
In a media press release, Deputy Premier and Minister for Skills John Barilaro said that the Government’s Refugee Employment Support Program (RESP) is giving refugees from war-torn Syria a chance to rebuild their lives and careers.
“Refugees and asylum seekers bring a diverse set of skills and experiences which can play a vital economic and social role in NSW, addressing skill shortages, creating small businesses and supporting jobs in local communities,” he said.
Ms. Mariam Maghzal sends a message to all those who face similar challenges in their journey, to prove their potential and experience in Australia.
“The secret word or the key secret of success is volunteer work, any commitment with volunteering work, even if it’s not within the field expertise , it opens the way to create more relationships (networks), learning more about the community. It can be a factor to supports being an active member in the Australian society, “Ms. Maghzal said.
