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SBS Australia
28 minutes ago
- General
- SBS Australia
INTERVIEW: A milestone for the Australian hotline helping those affected by overseas conflicts
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SBS Australia
28 minutes ago
- Business
- SBS Australia
Amy thought she had a secure job as an international student
Back in 2023, international student Amy - not her real name - thought she had found a secure job in Darwin. The then 30-year-old was hired as a student service officer, by vocational education provider International House Sydney, where she was studying for an Advanced Diploma in Program Management. And unlike cash-in-hand casual jobs that many international students and new migrants often take, Amy felt secure with the position. "It was a part-time permanent job, because I was on a student visa, so I could only work part-time, but it was a permanent contract." But in January 2025 the company went into liquidation. Amy's Australian colleagues were able to access the Australian government's Fair Entitlements Guarantee, or FEG. The Guarantee allows people to claim back wages, redundancy payments and other entitlements after a company closes. But because Amy was an international student, she wasn't eligible for the scheme meaning that until today, she still hasn't been paid some wages or other entitlements after the company closed. "So I thought that I would be more protected if I had a permanent contract. But then, when this happened, I realised that as an migrant, I do not have the same rights. I cannot access the same, yes, the same safety net as an Australian or a (permanent) resident." According to International House Sydney's liquidator, PKF Melbourne, the education provider had been trading at a loss from at least June 2022. By the time it went into administration, it had around 3,800 students and 318 staff. Amy says they were informed by the liquidator that if funds remained after the liquidation, staff who couldn't access the FEG would be prioritised for repayment. SBS News have put questions about follow-up payments with migrant staff to PKF Melbourne, but they didn't reply specifically to the question. It's an issue facing many small and medium-size education providers after the federal government tightened international student enrolments last year. Felix Pirie is the chief executive of Independent Tertiary Education Council Australia. "We saw a big downturn for students to apply, to come or even consider lodging an application to come to Australia to undertake skills training courses but also English language programs." According to a report by the ITECA, in 2021 there are around 162,000 students enrolling in independent higher education providers with over half of them international students. Mr Pirie says the increased fees for visa applications and the slowdown of visa process hit his sector most. "The outcome of these things is that independent providers are the ones singled out at the end of the day, or they are the one that certainly feels the biggest impacts, and it's the people they employ. So they employ significant workforce, and when their business start to suffer, those people lose their jobs." If an international student finds their education provider goes into administration, they have the right to access the government's Tuition Protection Service. This helps students find alternative course options and get a full refund from the provider. Matt Kunkel is the Chief Executive Officer of Migrant Workers Centre in Victoria. He says many international students are also employed in the sector. "What the other impact on this is for many migrant workers is that once they complete their education in Australia, many of them are moving into the education sector themselves, and in particular the international education sector. So for those workers who have come to build a life, to get an education and build a life in Australia, these international caps are putting pressure on jobs in the sector." In 2019, the then Coalition government released the final report from the government's Migrant Workers' Taskforce, which recommended an expansion of the FEG to all migrant workers. The Migrant Workers' Taskforce was established in 2016 to tackle migrant worker exploitation but since the 2019 report - the FEG has yet to be expanded. In 2025 the Albanese Labor government announced a consultation process looking into reforms to the FEG, after some businesses were found to have misused the scheme. Mr Kunkel says the federal government needs to allow international students and migrant workers to access the FEG as soon as possible. "Our visa system is built around this idea that international students are here just to study. But the reality is that many of those international students are here working and studying in Australia, and we need a visa system that allows those workers who are coming, those international students who are coming to Australia to be able to live a dignified life as they study and get that education." Seri Feldman-Gubbay is a senior solicitor at Redfern Legal Centre. She also agrees that there's a gap between the safety net for local workers and international students. "I think that the biggest thing is that a lot of Australian employing businesses rely on the fact that international students will be unfamiliar with the legal system and the rules in Australia. And so there will be, I guess, a false sense of confidence that is this employer is going to do right by me, when, in actual fact, a lot of employers take advantage of that lack of knowledge to then do the wrong thing and leave people in a really bad position." And without the FEG scheme, Ms Feldman-Gubbay says for employees like Amy taking claims to court is one option. Amy wants to see a change. "I don't think I will ever be compensated, because I doubt there's money to be found, but I would really hope that in the future, nobody else has to go through this situation, or also for there to at least be something that is more talked about. I have not heard about this until it happened to me. I think that every migrant should know that this is something that could happen to them."
SBS Australia
28 minutes ago
- Politics
- SBS Australia
Morning News Bulletin 22 June 2025
Listen to Australian and world news, and follow trending topics with SBS News Podcasts . TRANSCRIPT Reports the US is relocating B-2 bomber aircraft as Donald Trump considers a potential airstrike in Iran The grandfather of an Indigenous man who died in police custody writes a letter to the Prime Minister In cricket, Sam Konstas replaces Marnus Labuschagne ahead of Australia's opening Test match against the West Indies The United States is reportedly moving B-2 bomber aircraft to the Pacific island of Guam - as President Donald Trump weighs whether the United States should take part in Israel's strikes against Iran. According to US media reports and tracking data, multiple B-2 bomber aircraft have left their base in Missouri, headed for Guam. It is unclear whether the bomber deployment is tied to tensions between Israel and Iran. The B-2 is capable of striking Iran's deeply buried nuclear facilities. The Pentagon has not responded to a request for comment. Israel and Iran have exchanged more strikes, as the conflict enters its second week. Israel is claiming it has killed three of Iran's commanders - Saeed Izadi, Behnam Shahryari and Aminpour Judaki. Iran has not confirmed the deaths. This man in Iran says he wants to see the fighting stop. "I'm not in that situation to decide which one has the winning point at the moment. I just think about my family, my people, and that's it. No matter for me the names - Iran, Israel, I don't know, United States. We are thinking about peace and we hope it happens. The only thing that is important is people. People should be safe." The grandfather of a 24-year-old Indigenous man who died in police custody has drafted an open letter to the prime minister calling for the federal government to step in and address problems in the Northern Territory's justice system. The senior Warlpiri leader's grandson Kumanjayi White died after being forcibly restrained by two plain clothes officers inside a supermarket in Alice Springs in May. In the letter, Ned Jampijinpa Hargraves wrote that the justice system in the Territory was "in crisis", telling Prime Minister the federal government has total power over the NT - and saying "this madness must stop." The letter addressed to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese came amid protests in Sydney and Alice Springs demanding justice for Mr White. Pope Leo has recognised the work of South American journalists who uncovered sexual abuse by leaders of a dissolved Catholic group. The Sodalitium Christianae Vitae group, founded by Catholic laity and priests in 1971, was investigated by the Vatican, which concluded in 2017 that its leader, layman Luis Fernando Figari, abused along with three other former members, 19 minors and 10 adults between the 1970s and 2000s. In Lima, Monsignor Jordi Bertomeu read the leader written by the Pope, ahead of the premiere of a theatrical production that exploring the abuse scandal. "I want to thank those who have persevered in this cause, even when they were ignored, disqualified and even legally persecuted. In this time of deep social tensions, defending free and ethical journalism is not only an act of justice, but a duty of all those who long for a solid and participatory democracy." In cricket, Sam Konstas says he is ready to go again after being picked to play for Australia in their opening Test match against the West Indies on Wednesday. The 19-year-old has replaced Marnus Labuschagne in the squad following the latter's poor form in the recent World Test Championship final. Konstas made a stormy entry to the Tests against India at last year's Boxing Day Test match and scored a half century that contained some audacious shots against the world's best fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah. The opening batter says he still reflects on the moment but has also been working to further improve his game. "To be honest I've been watching it quite a bit. Even some of my mates still send it to me but yeah I still can't believe it. I don't know what was going through my mind at that time but no I thought it was the right time in the moment and yeah it was good fun. It was my first few Test matches... the emotion probably got to me with the crowd and obviously it was good reflecting having a bit of time off, trying to strengthen my game up and yeah hopefully we get to win the start in the next Test match." The three-Test series against the West Indies starts this Wednesday in Bridgetown, Barbados.
Straits Times
28 minutes ago
- Business
- Straits Times
315,000 Singaporeans have used new career and skills planning tool by SkillsFuture Singapore
SkillsFuture said the tool can be used to supplement resumes and enhance online job applications with the provision of verified records. ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO 315,000 Singaporeans have used new career and skills planning tool by SkillsFuture Singapore SINGAPORE - An online career and skills planning tool by SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) has been used by 315,000 Singaporeans as at April 30. Launched in November 2024, the Careers and Skills Passport consolidates information about an individual's career and skills from government-verified sources in one centralised and secure location, before the information is shared with current and potential employers. The SSG said this tool can be used to supplement resumes and enhance online job applications with verified records. Users can choose which records they wish to share with partnering online job portals, such as Jobstreet and FastJobs. They can also generate a shareable link of their profile and share it directly with potential employers. To date, 4,900 users have shared data from their Careers and Skills Passport. Developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), Ministry of Education (MOE) and Government Technology Agency, the passport has four key components. The employment section contains verified data from the Central Provident Fund Board and MOM, such as employer name, employment period and occupation. The skills section contains an overview of verified skills from the user's certifications and from employer validation. Users can also add skills that they acquired on their own. The third section contains academic records from the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board and institutes of higher learning (IHLs) supported by the MOE. These include the Institute of Technical Education, polytechnics, autonomous universities and the arts institutions. The final section contains verified professional training records, such as certifications from the Singapore Workforce Skills Qualifications and other SSG-funded courses. Similar to the skills section, users can also add their own certification records. The Careers and Skills Passport is one of the initiatives by SSG, which marks its 10th anniversary in 2025, to encourage Singaporeans to upskill. Held at the Four Seasons Hotel, the anniversary event on May 23 was attended by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Education Minister Chan Chun Sing, Manpower Minister Tan See Leng, and Minister of State for Education and Manpower Gan Siow Huang. About 300 education, enterprise, union and industry partners were also in attendance. The event also featured a panel discussion with individual, employer, union and government representatives about how the SkillsFuture movement provides opportunities to upskill and stay competitive. As part of the 10th anniversary, SSG and Workforce Singapore will roll out a series of initiatives throughout the year. These include the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme, which aims to provide temporary financial support of up to $6,000 over six months to lower- and middle-income job seekers who are still unemployed. The Centre for Skills-First Practices will be launched by SSG and the Institute for Adult Learning in the fourth quarter. Over the years, SkillsFuture initiatives have been expanded to cover over 28,000 courses, ranging from full qualifications to short courses, offered by a training sector that includes IHLs and private providers with close links to industry. More than 500,000 Singaporeans – a fifth of the workforce – undergo training every year. Since the SkillsFuture movement's inception in 2015, employer participation has also doubled from 12,000 companies to 24,000 in 2024. The number of employees supported by their employers for SSG-supported training also increased from 160,000 in 2015 to 241,000 in 2024. Mr Tan Kok Yam, chief executive of SSG, said that in the next 10 years, the SkillsFuture movement will have to 'level up' its support to Singaporeans, and give workers the tools and the confidence to thrive in an increasingly unpredictable world. 'Under SkillsFuture, we will encourage individuals to be mindful of their career health, raise the quality and relevance of learning, and help employers hire by skills and invest in their people,' he said. Elisha Tushara is a correspondent at The Straits Times, specialising in Singapore's education landscape. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Rhyl Journal
28 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- Rhyl Journal
Oasis pop up store merch prices in UK ahead of Live '25 tour
The first store is already open in Manchester, as fans stock up on merch ahead of the iconic Britpop group kicking off their tour in Cardiff on July 4. It comes as brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher were pictured together for the first time yesterday (June 20) since announcing their Live '25 tour late last year. The reunion was part of the Adidas Originals x Oasis Live '25 apparel collection launch – with several pieces selling out within minutes. Oasis' Liam and Noel Gallagher reunite ahead of world tour for Adidas collaboration. (Image: Johannes Leonardo/Adidas) The Manchester store in Spinningfields will be one of six across the UK and Ireland this summer, with the others in Cardiff, London, Edinburgh, Birmingham and Dublin. You can book a slot via the Oasis Live '25 Fan Stores or head down to join the general admission queues currently in Manchester. The official Oasis website states that the stores will allow fans to 'get gig ready' with an 'exclusive range of limited items and special brand collaborations'. A massive #Oasis fan store has opened in Manchester ahead of the #Live25 reunion tour and it's BIBLICAL. 🤩 Read more here. ➡️ The general openings are listed below: Manchester – June 20 (open) Cardiff – June 26 London & Birmingham – July 8 Edinburgh & Dublin – August 4 Fans will also be able to recreate the front covers of the band's debut album, Definitely Maybe, and bestselling follow-up, (What's the Story) Morning Glory?, on green screens in the stores. A massive Oasis fan store has opened in Manchester ahead of the Live25 reunion tour and it's BIBLICAL 📹 @TheMancUK The Oasis merch range features the official Live 25 merchandise, including exclusive brand collaborations and limited-editions, the Manchester Evening News reports. Fans can stock up on t-shirts, hoodies, jackets and more. The Manchester store is spread over two floors and also features a variety of collectible items. Tour-edition coloured vinyl formats of the Oasis catalogue with exclusive Live '25 print are available from between £35-45. Clothing options include t-shirts from £35, hoodies from £75, sweatshirts from £65, denim jackets from £75 and tote bags for £20. Recommended reading: Oasis reunite in new Adidas Originals advert ahead of tour Oasis star Noel Gallagher's Bentley goes on sale for £1.2 million Oasis rules out further UK dates and Knebworth Park return There's also a range of accessories from bags, hats and badges, ranging from £1 to £35. Bucket hats in various colours start at £25, pin badges are £6, keyrings are £8 and posters and postcards range from £1 to £10. Zippo Lighters prices start at £42.90 and include various exclusive designs such as Live '25, What's The Story and Supersonic. The latest Adidas Collaboration will also feature, with prices starting from £40.
