Allianz Australia and Settlement Services International (SSI) have provided scholarships to 34 refugee students in NSW, Victoria and Queensland as part of an ongoing venture to support access to technology and education.

The scholarship program provides financial support for refugee and asylum-seeking students to help overcome additional barriers experienced in their secondary school, vocational education, and university experiences.

“At Allianz, our purpose is to help provide a secure future for our customers, employees and the wider community,” Allianz Australia MD Richard Feledy said.

“Access to quality education is a critical step to equip young Australians with the skills that they need to thrive in the workforce and establish rewarding and successful careers.” 

Allianz says the partnership with SSI has awarded more than 280 scholarships for refugees, valued at more than $500,000. It says this year’s scholarships awarded people from 17 different cultural backgrounds, including Afghan, Iraqi, Ukrainian, Yemeni, and Persian.

The award has been recognised by the Australian Human Rights Commission, winning its business award in 2017. 

“I am a firm believer in the power and strength of diversity, inclusion and belonging,” Mr Feledy said. 
“The more we can bring together people with different experiences, ideas and backgrounds, and create environments where everyone feels safe to contribute, the better the outcomes will be – both for businesses and society as a whole.” 

Recipients of the scholarships gathered at Allianz’s Melbourne and Sydney offices to celebrate their achievements. 

One recipient, 23-year-old Hala, missed out on almost a decade of education due to conflicts in Syria. She says she intends to use the scholarship to support her future studies at Western Sydney University.

“I had many things to pay for, rent, insurance, food – I had no ability to pay just one dollar for a laptop,” she said. 

“So, when I got the scholarship, I thanked God every day, because now that I have a laptop, I can do more work, more studies, and more things.”