The Fair Work Ombudsman has launched a program to foster new relationships with international student bodies and multicultural communities.

The aim is to ensure migrant workers, overseas workers, international students and employers are aware of their workplace rights and responsibilities.

Community Engagement Officers have been appointed to establish meaningful, ongoing relationships and have been trained to ensure they can work sensitively and productively with multicultural groups.

“We have been participating in discussion groups, meetings and community events to gain a better understanding of the needs of these communities,” says Fair Work Ombudsman Natalie James.

The community engagement officers are in addition to the agency’s specialist overseas worker’s team established in July, 2012.

They have been working with existing multicultural networks and other government agencies, councils, community legal and migrant resource centres, ethnic community networks and international student organisations to determine how to best assist migrant and international student groups.

Ms James says the officers have also been working to establish and develop long-term relationships with leaders within multicultural communities.

“By engaging with intermediaries and networks that these communities already use and trust, we hope to increase their awareness about their workplace rights and responsibilities,” she says.

There has been a significant increase in the number of hits on the languages page of the Fair Work Ombudsman website since the program was initiated.

“This would suggest that we’re making inroads into these communities, as we educate people more about the role and function of the Fair Work Ombudsman,” Ms James says. “Working with these groups is also helping us to improve our in-language advice and inform the development of new resources.”

Visa holders now account for 11 per cent of all requests for assistance received by the Fair Work Ombudsman. Last financial year, the Fair Work Ombudsman recovered $1.6 million in underpaid wages and entitlements for visa-holders – up from $1.1 million in 2013-14.

In June, the Fair Work Ombudsman joined with the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) to form Taskforce Cadena to jointly combat the incidence of fraud and exploitation involving foreign workers in Australia.