Major telcos back new social business to create jobs for refugees

New social enterprise Civik launches with a goal to create 250 jobs for communities experiencing high unemployment.

When Julienne Hamina was chosen as one of the first employees to join new civil construction start-up Civik, she knew it was a chance to get her foot in the door to her dream industry.

“I can’t wait,” says the 18-year-old, who now calls Cairns home having settled there with her family in 2019 after fleeing as refugees from the war-torn African nation of Burundi, one of the poorest countries in the world, subject to widespread poverty, corruption, political instability, and tribal violence.

“In the African community here, I’m sure I’m the first woman to work in construction,” she says proudly.

Hamina’s new employer, Civik, is a White Box incubated social enterprise created in partnership with large infrastructure services provider Ventia, to work as a sub-contractor on one of Ventia’s major projects, the rollout of the Australian Government’s National Broadband Network.

The goal for Civik is simple – to create 250 jobs nationally for people who face barriers to work, all while helping to solve the labour shortage issues facing the civil construction industry.  

The people-centred organisation will train and employ individuals who face barriers to work in regional Australia, giving them the skills and confidence to pursue careers in construction, engineering and telecommunications.  

According to Civik General Manager Dominiqe Bird, “The current labour shortages present a remarkable opportunity for a social enterprise start-up like Civik. Our goal is to activate an untapped pool of talented, motivated workers in regional areas who simply require a chance to establish a career.”

Unfilled vacancies in Australia’s civil construction sector are estimated to reach 100,000[i] this year, with many organisations, like Ventia, struggling to find the support they need to fulfil criteria projects.

Civik has commenced its operations in Cairns, with plans to expand into other regions across Australia, aligning to Ventia’s workload. The next location targeted is the Dandenong Ranges on the outskirts of Melbourne.

The first crew employed includes former refugees who have undergone a specialised training program to equip them with the skills they need to work in the telecommunications industry. Research shows unemployment rates for refugees is approximately 77% in the first year of arrival before dropping to 38% after three years[ii].

“At Civik, we focus on the unique skills and experiences of these individuals. Instead of viewing former refugees as individuals in need of support, we use a strength-based approach which recognises their resilience, diversity, and the valuable contributions they can make to society and the economy,” said Bird.

For Hamina, it’s a game changer. “Where I grew up, it was mainly men doing this type of work, but when I got to Australia I thought, ‘Wow, I could really do this, women in Australia can work in construction too’,” says Hamina, who spent more than two years in a refugee camp in Barundi from when she was 11 years old before her family was accepted to resettle in Australia.

NBN Co are also supportive of the new venture: NBN Co General Manager Fixed Line Greg Thornton said, “It’s fantastic the nbn fibre upgrade program, which involves rolling out more than 65,000 km of optical fibre across Australia, is helping to provide new opportunities for people of diverse backgrounds in our regional towns and cities.

“I’m proud we were able to help our fibre roll out delivery partners in facilitating the training that will provide invaluable skills for now and into the future.”

In addition to working with former refugees, Civik is also exploring opportunities for First Nations people to access opportunities from the NBN rollout. "Civik is creating a training and employment model that is highly replicable, and we'd like to see regional and remote First Nations communities have the option to build and maintain their own telecommunications infrastructure,” said Bird.

This is the second White Box Enterprises-incubated social enterprise Ventia will work closely with. Since 2020 they have been a major client of Australian Spatial Analytics (ASA), a unique data-oriented professional services social enterprise that employs young autistic adults. ASA is one of the fastest growing data services providers and social enterprises in Australia today, employing more than 100 individuals, 80% of whom are neurodiverse.

“Working with large corporates with a strong focus on ESG, like Ventia, is a great enabler for innovation. We hope more corporates follow their lead and think about the role jobs-focused social enterprise can play in solving their business needs,” said Alex McDonald, Chair of ASA and Chief Entrepreneur for White Box Enterprises. “ASA is a great example of what is possible when you align business with a clear social purpose. We expect Civik to do as well as ASA”.

[i] Arcadis Construction Costs Index Report, 2022

[ii] Settlement Services Australia