Volunteer tutors come from all walks of life, and most people are able to sign on to the program.  Current occupation does not matter, and no prior teaching or tutoring experience is required.  We provide all volunteer tutors with basic training and resources to assist them with tutoring. We also have a partnership with TAFE and should be able to offer you a place on a VoRTCS introductory ESL training course over three Saturdays in the months after you have completed intake training.

To participate in the Refugee Tutoring program, tutors must:

• have good spoken and written English and be able to assist someone else to improve their English;
• be able to commit to tutoring for at least 12 months;
• be reliable and able to tutor for one hour each week;
• be able to manage the transport to the family home which may be in an outer suburb;
• be prepared to commit to the VoRTCS child safety and risk management practices;
• complete the training program which includes cultural sensitivity training;
• have good communication skills and be able to relate to refugee families in a sensitive and friendly way; and
  

• be aged over 16 years of age, and have parental consent to tutor if they are under 18 years of age.
  

Tutoring a refugee family is not generally a short-term volunteer opportunity.  Many tutors have been tutoring the same family for two or three years.  As a guide, we ask tutors commit to being a part of the program for a minimum of twelve months.  Of course, if circumstances change and tutors have to move on, we find replacement tutors for the family.  We do ask that if tutors have to stop tutoring, and they know someone who may be interested in replacing them that they recommend they contact VoRTCS so that the replacement tutor can complete the compulsory training and get started. We see the families as becoming self sufficient, with the help of the program in around three years, and expect our tutors will wind up the tutoring partnership and celebrate the achievements. The options for tutors are then to start with a new family using your experience, to take on another role in VoRTCS, or to retire. We don't expect the tutoring partnerships to be open-ended and will help with advice when the time comes for your family to exit the program.

If you are not able to assist a family every week and would like to join a list of ‘reserve tutors’ who are able to fill in when another tutor is away or unwell, please contact us at info.vortcs@svdpqld.org.au

If you are not able to tutor regularly but are interested in helping the program in another volunteer capacity, we have special volunteer roles you may be interested in. If this is the case you can also contact us at info.vortcs@svdpqld.org.au.