Multicultural Affairs Newsletter - February 2023

Charles See Kee Scholarship applications now open

Applications for the Charles See Kee Scholarship are now open for 2023.

The Charles See Kee Scholarship provides financial support to a student who has settled in Australia as a humanitarian or refugee entrant to undertake study or enhance their employment and general life outcomes.

Information about the scholarship including eligibility criteria, selection criteria and how to apply, is available here

Applications close on 10 March 2023.

Multicultural Health Connect - 1800 186 815

Multicultural Health Connect is the first national helpline to help people in multicultural communities get health information and advice.

Call Multicultural Health Connect to:

• get free health advice from a nurse
• find doctors, hospitals, support, and community health centres
• find nearby services that can help you
• learn about COVID-19, including how to get vaccination, protect yourself and your family and manage your symptoms if you get COVID-19

The helpline service is free and confidential, and run by workers from multicultural backgrounds.

You can call 1800 186 815 from Monday to Friday between 9:30am and 5:30pm in the Northern Territory. The helpline is closed on public holidays.

Skills Assessment Pilots

The Australian Government is supporting skilled migrants through the Skills Assessment Pilots.

Pilot 2 - Skills Assessment Opportunities for Migrants provides a free and fast-tracked skills assessment for migrants living in Australia. Onshore migrants on a family, partner, refugee or humanitarian visa with unrecognised skills in an eligible occupation could have their skills, qualifications and experience assessed by an assessing authority for free!They can then use their successful skills assessment outcome letter to support a job application within that field.

Pilot 3 – Employability Assessments for Migrants offers a free employability assessment and coaching to skilled migrants who:

• have previously received a suitable skills assessment outcome in a priority occupation
• are residing in Australia on a permanent visa
• are currently working at least 40 hours per fortnight in a job that is below their skill level, and
• are not already on employment services.

Applications for Major Grants Round 2 - Community Benefit Fund (CBF) now open

Funding is available for Major Community Grants and Major Community Events Grants to non-profit community groups and regional councils under Major Grants from the Community Benefit Fund. Eligible organisations can apply for amounts between $15,001 and $250,000 to improve facilities, develop infrastructure and stage community events.

Applications close on 28 February 2023

Applications are now open for the Northern Territory Major Events Community Event Funding

Applications for NT Major Events Grant Funding program 2022-23 are now open. Multiple-year funding is now available across four categories with the event (year 1) to be held between September 2023 and 28 February 2025.

The Office of Multicultural Affairs encourages interested multicultural organisations to contact NT Major Events Company by email ntmec.grants@nt.gov.au or call 8999 6286 to discuss their event/festival prior to applying.

Funding opportunities available under current rounds include:

• Community Event Funding 2022-23 R2; Submissions close 5:00PM 3 March 2023 (ACST).
• Event Development Funding 2022-23 R2: Submissions close 5:00PM 3 March 2023 (ACST).
• Major Event EOI 2022-23 R2: Submissions close 5:00PM 17 February 2023 (ACST).
• Mass Participation Funding 2022-23 R2: Submissions close 5:00PM 3 March 2023 (ACST).
• Strategic Funding 2022-23 R2 : Submissions close 5:00PM 3 March 2023 (ACST).

Applications for Creative Communities Arts Grants now open

Creative Communities Arts Grants up to $5,000 are available for community groups and not-for-profit organisations for grassroots, community-led arts activities that increase community participation in the arts in the Northern Territory.

If your community group dances, performs, paints, sculpts or creates any type of art, and it is open to the wider community to take part in, then you could apply for funding through a Creative Communities Grant. 

Read the 2022-23 Arts and Culture Grants Program Guidelines for more information and contact an Arts Development Officer to discuss your idea on 8999 8981 or 1800 678 237 or email arts.office@nt.gov.au, before submitting an application.

Interested community groups are encouraged to register for an information session on the grant program scheduled on Thursday, 2 March 2023 from 5.30pm - 6.30pm at Floor 1, JHV2- Jape Home Maker Village, 356 Bagot Road, Millner or online via Microsoft Teams.

Applications close 2pm 31 May 2023, or until the budget is expended.

Updates to contacts in multicultural community associations

The Office of Multicultural Affairs encourages all multicultural community organisations/associations to create a generic email address (if not yet created) for their organisation instead of using private email addresses of presidents and other board member/s. 

If there have been changes to committee members in your multicultural community association, please advise the Office of Multicultural Affairs by emailing the updated contact details to tfhc.multiculturalaffairs@nt.gov.au