After enhancing her English proficiency and acquiring computer and social skills, Shirkool became part of SisterWorks’ manufacturing hub. Here, she rekindled her passion for sewing, a craft she first learned during her teenage years on the bustling streets of Tehran.

Bridging the employment gap

“Migrant, refugee and asylum seeker women take 18 months to land in employment as opposed to their male counterparts of six months … some of these women fall through the cracks of the mainstream support system here in Australia, and it’s a shame because there’s quite a lot of them.”

SisterWorks CEO Ifrin Fittock said Farah’s journey reflects the barriers many migrant women face when entering the workforce. Source: SBS News

Over 12 years, SisterWorks says it has supported more than 3,500 women from 105 nationalities, offering tailored assistance based on each woman’s skills, background and aspirations.

“We love doing what we’re doing because we are trying to narrow the gap between what they [migrant women] have, what they have done, what employers need, and that’s how this system works,” she said.

‘Not just a seat’

A community partnership with Yarra Trams — which saw a specially wrapped tram carry SisterWorks’ mission statement across the city — eventually led to a social procurement partnership between the two organisations.

Through a community partnership with Yarra Trams, a custom-wrapped tram showcased the SisterWorks’ mission statement across the city. Source: Supplied / Yarra Trams

“After several discussions with Yarra Trams, we landed on the tram seat refurbishment project, understanding that a lot of our sisters are crafty,” Fittock said.

On average, the women refurbish around 70 seats each month, generating more than 1,500 hours of paid employment and diverting over 1.2 tonnes of waste from landfill in the last financial year.

“It’s our way of demonstrating we can use the taxpayer funds to run the tram network, to deliver value above and beyond dollars.”

Turning skills into infrastructure

“We really saw the potential of not only creating employment hours for them, but also really meaningful work that they can see when they get on the tram … it enables them to be role models within their communities.”

Yarra Trams’ social procurement manager, Francesca Maclean, said the partnership with SisterWorks demonstrates how public institutions can create impact beyond their core services. Source: SBS News

Yarra Trams runs around 35,000 services each week, carrying roughly half a million passengers daily, subjecting the seats to constant use.

“If your child spilled some food on the seat because they were getting a bit hangry mid-journey, or someone’s water or coffee has spilled, this is what causes the wear and tear,” Maclean said.

Care in every stitch

When a seat is damaged or stained, it is removed from circulation and sent to SisterWorks for a “multistep” repair process. Depending on the damage, the sisters replace the fabric and foam, and even comfort-test the seat until they are satisfied.

When a seat is damaged or stained, it is sent to SisterWorks for a “multistep” repair process. Source: SBS News

“They literally sit on it [the seats], we have been told, and have a think, ‘Would I be happy to sit on this seat if I were catching a tram?’, which is great, right? It shows the care,” Maclean said.