Championing Change: Mim Davies Named as a Finalist in Australian Training Awards

TAFE Queensland is celebrating Miriam ‘Mim’ Davies, whose work at our Inala campus (and beyond) has earned her a spot on the finalists’ podium for the Australian Training Awards on Friday 6 December 2024.

Mim has been named as a national finalist in the Excellence in Language, Literacy and Numeracy Practice Award in recognition of her work with refugee and migrant students in the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP).

The AMEP is funded by the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs and delivered by TAFE Queensland at 43 locations. Through the program, eligible migrants and humanitarian entrants can access free English language classes to improve their English language skills and settle into Australia.

Mim passionately specialises in teaching students of refugee backgrounds who have limited education in their first language. She is a staunch champion of engaging, trauma-informed training which addresses her cohort’s unique barriers to learning.

“Teaching English to refugees and migrants is my passion,” Mim asserted. “I’m committed to supporting them to have the best possible introduction to life in Australia.”

With a smile, she added, “That old saying ‘if you do what you love, you never have to work a day in your life’ is almost spot on in my case.”

In addition to her work in the classroom, Mim has committed her time to numerous special projects, including the innovative Stronger Women, Stronger Communities project; a specialised swimming and water awareness program; and a weekly job club to support students in their drive to enter the workforce.

Stronger Women, Stronger Communities

Recognising that many of her female refugee students were dealing with significant barriers to employment in Australia, Mim delivered the Stronger Women, Stronger Communities project in early 2024.

The 10-week project focused on empowering 14 refugee women to build connections with each other, strengthen their confidence and independence, and ultimately gain employment.

Mim faced numerous challenges at the outset of the project. All 14 students possessed very low levels of English, a distinct lack of confidence, limited literacy in their first language, and little to no work experience. 

The project’s holistic approach encouraged the group to reflect on their mental health and wellbeing, as well as the values of community involvement (such as volunteering) while building their literacy, numeracy, digital, and employability skills.

“Recognising the trauma that refugees often face, I created a morning routine which consisted of mindfulness, phonemic awareness, physical activity, and reading,” Mim said. 

The project also featured collaborations with a number of key stakeholders, including Settlement Services International, Immigrant Women’s Support Services, QPASTT (a torture and trauma counselling service for humanitarian entrants), Mater Refugee Health, and PCYC.

Through workplace observations, fundraising efforts, physical activities, and team-building exercises, the women were empowered to discover their value and the positive contributions they could make to Australian society.

Incredibly, at the completion of the project, all 14 women felt equipped to begin to look for work, and several have already commenced volunteering positions.

“The program had an amazing impact on these women,” Mim said.

“Their self-confidence and learnings about themselves and those around them increased dramatically.”

Job Club

In an effort to further contextualise her students’ language, literacy and numeracy training, Mim established and facilitated a weekly Job Club for refugee and migrant students at TAFE Queensland’s Inala campus.

Each week, Mim delivered specialised sessions focused on a certain sector or area of interest, such as horticulture, hospitality, or fashion, and addresses skills that students would need for the Australian workforce.

Mim’s delivery of the job club was highly practical, with students participating in mock job interviews, conducting online job searches, and writing resumes.

In recognition of her students’ needs—many of whom were parents with large families, or young people seeking work—Mim also facilitated a number of sessions on driving and road safety in partnership with Settlement Services International.

Aqua English

While swimming is an ingrained skill in Australian culture—particularly in coastal Queensland—many migrants and refugees from land-locked countries are not experienced in swimming and water safety.

In collaboration with Aqua English, Mim facilitated a swimming and water awareness program for her students which highlighted the dangers of living in a coastal environment, and provided swimming lessons, CPR awareness and basic lifesaving skills.

During 2023, over 200 students participated in the program, including a women’s-only swimming group.

After witnessing the value of the program first-hand, and the ways in which it supported her students’ social inclusion, cultural understanding, and physical and mental wellbeing, Mim went above and beyond—undertaking additional swim training to become an accredited Learn to Swim teacher in her own right.

As her colleagues highlighted in their nomination piece to the Australian Training Awards, Mim consistently goes beyond the required expectations of her teaching role to develop strong and meaningful connections in the community.

“Teaching is immensely rewarding,” Mim said. “It comes with its challenges, of course, and the emotional weight of students’ struggles. That being said, hearing my students deliver speeches at the end of a program makes it all worthwhile.”

The Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) is funded by the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs. In Queensland, it is delivered by TAFE Queensland.