Januka Karki has been dreaming of becoming a nurse since she was a child.
"In my family, my parents were always sick," she says. "It's my interest [since I was] small."
The 20-year-old was born in a refugee camp in Nepal, spending most of her life there before moving to Hobart with her family 10 months ago.
Nursing remains on the skills shortage list in Tasmania, but it will take years of savings and study before Januka can realise that dream.
Until then, she wants to work to earn money and improve her English. In the state with the highest unemployment rate in the country, finding even an entry level job can be a tall order.
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She's hoping a barista training course run by the Migrant Resource Centre of Southern Tasmania might be the first step to landing her first job.
Trainer Anneke Tadema says working in hospitality can be a pathway to success in other industries.
"Hospitality skills are fantastic skills. They teach you about team work, they teach you about time management, about communication,' she says.
With Tasmanians heading to the polls in mid-March, both major parties are promising to focus on job creation if they win this election.
Cedric Manen, CEO of the Migrant Resource Centre of Southern Tasmania, says recent migrants shouldn’t be left out of the picture.
"It is important for us to work on our new and emerging communities, to help them settle, but also to give them the opportunity to contribute back to a country that has welcomed them," he says.
While Januka's nursing career remains a future aspiration, she’s enjoying work experience – and the new skills she’s developing.
"My English is improving," she says.
