Transitions from education to employment for culturally and linguistically diverse migrants and refugees in settlement contexts: what do we know?

Access to and experiences of education among Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Migrants or Refugees (CALDM/R) is a site of increased scholarly interest. While research emphasises new CALDM/Rs’ desire to work and meaningfully contribute to their new country, many remain under employed even though many hold multiple tertiary qualifications. This article offers an interpretive review of literature relating to the higher education and employment experiences of CALDM/R, so as to contribute to debates about how universities should facilitate the pathways from university to employment for these students. From our reading of the literature, we argue that current policy fails to address areas of language proficiency, work experience and recognition of work and study from countries overseas, all of which contribute to high levels of unemployment. This review also highlights structural workplace issues of racism, discrimination and exploitation and discussed the role and responsibility of universities in contributing to the employment outcomes for CALDM/R. It concludes that as tertiary education providers have a commitment to ensuring their graduates are ‘job ready’, particular attention to the needs of CALDM/R is required.