Dilveen's career aspirations

At just 18 years old, Dilveen Khider arrived in Australia as an Iraqi refugee.

Despite the challenges she had already faced in her home country—as well as the inevitable hurdles of settling in a new country—Dilveen’s aspirations were firmly set in place.

Ultimately, she hoped to follow in her father’s footsteps as a civil engineer.

Less than two months after arriving in Toowoomba, Dilveen took the first steps toward her goal by enrolling in the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) at TAFE Queensland.

Through the AMEP, migrants and refugees can access free English language classes to support their settlement journey.

After just over a year of focusing on her English language skills, Dilveen began splitting her time between classes and working as a translator for a local medical centre.

In 2021, Dilveen felt prepared to transition from the AMEP to TAFE Queensland’s Certificate IV in Adult Tertiary Preparation (10765NAT).

“I had Dilveen as an AMEP student and then as an ATP student studying online,” said TAFE Queensland Teacher Heather Coulston.

“Her enthusiasm really paved her way to success. It’s a huge step to move from a face-to-face language class to working online, where you need to manage your time, due dates, and learning independently. She has done extremely well.”

In addition to the new course, Dilveen took on a second job as an Allied Health Assistant in which she ran English and Arabic classes to support clients’ mental and physical health.

Dilveen’s passion for helping people also led her to volunteer extra time with a client at Clifford Park Special School.

After three years of dedicated study, Dilveen’s unwavering determination paid off. In 2022, she completed her certificate IV qualification and was accepted into the University of Queensland’s Bachelor of Engineering.

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