From football to carpentry

After gaining confidence with the tools at CERES Fair Wood warehouse, Samira is now set to start her apprenticeship at a major engineering organisation in Melbourne.

Forced to give up her place on Afghanistan’s women’s soccer team after a ban on women’s participation in sports, Samira found a new passion after arriving in Australia on a humanitarian visa in 2023. Enrolling in a hands-on carpentry program felt like a natural next step, having grown up watching her father doing steelwork.

Samira spent 12 weeks learning from our experienced carpenters and shortly after enrolled in a Certificate II Building and Construction Pre-apprenticeship in Carpentry. 

Samira’s story is just one of many successes coming out of our carpentry program. With connections to a wide network of Melbourne-based organisations, Fair Wood supports program graduates in finding employment or enrolling in TAFE courses if they choose to pursue a career in trade.

In 2024, Fair Wood raised their total enrolments into the EPRI program to 18. Two graduates of the program have since progressed into permanent carpentry positions, with others working at Fair Wood.

The program is part of the nationwide initiative Economic Pathways to Refugee Integration (EPRI) funded by the Federal Department of Home Affairs, assisting refugees in securing stable and fulfilling careers.