TasTAFE partners with Be Hers to support women from migrant and refugee backgrounds

TasTAFE has partnered with Be Hers to deliver 2 tailored training programs for women from migrant and refugee backgrounds, supporting them through confidence building and skills-based learning.

Be Hers is a national not-for-profit organisation that empowers women and children who are at risk from human trafficking, modern slavery, violence and exploitation. The organisation strives for equal opportunity through education, community connection and work pathways.

The TasTAFE training programs each run for 15 weeks, focusing on Hair and Beauty, led by TasTAFE teacher Raa Wighton; and Sewing and Textiles, led by TasTAFE's Nikola Colls. The programs are designed to help learners, recruited through Be Hers, to build practical, foundational skills in safe, supportive TasTAFE learning environments.

At Cambell Street Campus in Hobart, 8 Hair and Beauty learners have been moving through accredited units covering visual merchandising, financial transactions and customer service.

“The learners have come from really diverse backgrounds,” Raa  Wighton said, “– from Palestine, Israel, and Pakistan… It’s been interesting to hear their stories and their history. But they’ve all experienced some type of adversity – and a lot of the time English is their second language. So, the idea is to give them the skills to be able to move into employment.

“I’ve found it really rewarding so far. These are all adult learners – they've got families, they've got commitments, they've got real-world things happening – but they're all so excited to be here and to participate.”

Raa has also been supporting some of the learners to mentor others in the group who have arrived in Australia more recently or have less affinity with English. One of these mentors is Areej Fatima, who arrived in Tasmania 2 years ago from Pakistan via Saudi Arabia.

“I didn't know how to start my journey to get a job, to get a career – but Be Hers and TasTAFE gave us an opportunity and a track, and we are following the track!”, Areej said.

“Today we are learning how to do different transactions with cash and what to do if a customer comes through for a refund – what's the legislation or what's the policy.

“This is only our second class, but our teacher is amazing – and we are so excited because we can see that this path is taking us towards our career, so we're happy. We are really having fun.”

Through partnerships like the Be Hers program, TasTAFE is having a genuine impact at a community level, helping women overcome adversity and make new beginnings.

Areej agrees: “TasTAFE is an easy way for women like us to do some short courses and get some opportunities. The Tasmanian community is beautiful and has embraced us – we don’t think that we are aliens. And now we can become part of this society, serving our community and doing jobs and paying tax. It means a lot to us – to make some contribution.”

Be Hers General Manager, Ally Levinson, said the collaboration with TasTAFE was creating powerful, life-changing opportunities.

“It’s incredible to see women gaining nationally-recognised accredited training in a TasTAFE classroom, then learning additional skills … stepping straight into hands-on work experience at the Be Hers Hub – whether that’s sewing in our textiles program or serving customers in our retail space.

“This partnership is more than training; it’s building confidence, purpose, and belief in themselves, as well as workplace readiness and community connection – all while opening genuine pathways into employment,” Ally said.

The TasTAFE Be Hers program will run until November 2025. Mentors from this year’s courses will potentially return to assist in another round of the program in 2026.

Top: Nikola Colls and the Sewing and Textiles learners in the Be Hers program.
Bottom (L–R, clockwise): Be Hers learners Sana Zeeshan, Asil Abualjalil, Malaz Ahmed and Areej Fatima.