A great place to work for people seeking refuge

Feeling safe and secure in one’s home is a fundamental human right. But for more than 120 million people around the world fleeing humanitarian crisis1, it’s an urgent need. At least 60,000 people have sought refuge in Australia.2

Australia can offer the chance for a safe home and meaningful employment. Opal HealthCare partners with CareerSeekers to provide valuable work experience in the aged care sector for university students seeking refuge in Australia.

In 2024, Opal HealthCare welcomed interns Vadym, Ali, Malika and Mortaza, working with our Communications & Sustainability, ICT, Learning & Development and Risk & Innovation teams respectively.

Our interns spent 12 weeks working at Opal HealthCare’s Sydney Home Office, developing skills in their fields of practice and bringing valuable diverse perspectives. These roles may lead to further internships in university holidays or even permanent employment with us.

Vadym’s story

Vadym came to Australia from Ukraine in 2022 with a Finance and Law degree from Donetsk National University and Kharkiv Law Academy. With strong experience with private medical providers in Ukraine, Vadym wanted to further his career in healthcare.

“Healthcare is where I can serve,” says Vadym. “My mission is to use my unique experiences to build a better society. I always ask ‘How can I contribute?’”

A lifelong learner, Vadym’s keen interest in data earned him a scholarship to the University of NSW’s Masters in Commerce program, majoring in Marketing and Business Analytics. This made him an ideal fit for Opal HealthCare’s Communications & Sustainability team.

Vadym’s internship project at Opal HealthCare was to identify relevant data from our website and other digital channels, and create dashboards that provide insights into our customers’ needs and interests. He then analysed sector trends to demonstrate how we could most effectively serve those needs.

“This experience has been a game-changer for me,” says Vadym.

“I love Australia’s workplace diversity and what refugees bring to that. We’re adaptable, and we add to that diversity through our culture and our unique skills and experiences from home. I demand excellence from myself. I like challenging myself and finding solutions and those are valuable attributes in aged care.”

1 The UN Refugee Agency estimates 122.6 million people were forcibly displaced from their homes as at 30 June 2024.

2 The UN Refugee Agency (Australia) estimates almost 60,000 refugees and 80,000 asylum seekers are hosted in Australia.