From Syria to Toowoomba
A refugee who moved to Australia in 2019 for a safer life, has now realised his dream by becoming an electrical apprentice and is sharing the powerful story behind his success.
Recently Nidal Kanjo started work as an adult apprentice with local company Wolff Power and said it’s been a long time coming.
“I actually have been waiting for this opportunity for almost eight years since I finished my secondary high school,” said Mr Kanjo.
“When the war started in Syria in 2011 I was in grade 11 at the time, I barely finished my general exams and found myself in a position of being a refugee in Iraq for another six years.”
He said his mind was left racing, realising that getting a degree was a big expense and he didn’t know if it would help him find a job.
“Am I going back to Syria or not? What if I travelled overseas? Is there any country that may accept this qualifications or not? ” said Mr Kanjo.
“And the main thing, can I afford the university fees while I’m a refugee?”
“However, I did believe that there would be a chance one day, somehow, I don’t know where and when or how but I will get it one day.”
“And here I am, today, putting my steps together and walking towards my dream with Wolff Power, excited, nervous and happy - and the main thing is I never gave up,” said Mr Kanjo.
The team at Wolff Power was incredibly impressed with Nidal’s hard work and his willingness to persevere to get the job done and Mr Kanjo is so glad he persevered.
“My message to everyone who is struggling or maybe life has put them in some difficult situations while aiming to achieve their dreams is to never give up,” said Mr Kanjo.
“There are thousands of doors out there, knock on them all, the worst reply you might hear is no, and ‘no’ is just a word, out of all those doors you need only one yes and that is all you really need, only one yes to get it going,” he said.
Mr Kanjo’s door to employment was first opened by his neighbour who put him in touch with Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise (TSBE) CEO Ali Davenport.
He shared his dreams with her not thinking anything would come of the conversation, but Ms Davenport said she had different ideas.
“Nidal told me about his experiences growing up in Syria and of working as a trainee electrician in Iraq and mentioned that it was his lifelong dream to get back into the electrical industry,” said Ms Davenport.
“When I heard him speak so passionately about his goal, I knew he’d be a real asset for a local company, so I called Colin Dennis from Wolff Power who agreed to give him a trial.”
“Nidal will now get to fulfill his dream of becoming an apprentice and Wolff Power have found themselves a hardworking and loyal employee,” she said.
As the region experiences a severe labour shortage, Ms Davenport is encouraging other businesses to look at the untapped opportunities in the local refugee community.
