Learning to drive to be made easier for migrants in Tasmania

The MOU will involve the community centre supplying MRC Tasmania with access to their learner driver cars so clients can participate in learn-to-drive programs.

Humanitarian settlement program case manager Michelle Brown said many migrants who came to Tasmania could already drive, but their licenses weren't recognised.

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"Because of that, we've come to an agreement with with the Northern Suburbs Community Centre who are going to help our clients to get their driver's license," Ms Brown said.

She said while it wasn't uncommon for migrants to have to renew their licensee, language barriers and access to cars for logging hours were major roadblocks in the process.

To ease the language barrier, MRC Tas will support NSCC with the translation of documents, as well as provide translation services at in-person meetings.

Northern Suburbs Community Centre general manager Trish O'Duffy said she was excited for the collaboration.

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"It's nice to have an MOU which leads to bigger things, helps our community and maximises our resources to make the best use of our dollars," she said.

Ms O'Duffy said they currently ran a learner-driver program that helped community members accumulate hours, and after collaborating with MRC Tas agreed to share their cars and volunteers.

"A lot of the other knock on effects from this is that quite often we'll need words translated for us and that's when MRC Tas helps out," she said.

MRC Tas chief executive officer Gillian Long said their clients needed a license for a myriad of reasons.

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"One is employment, but they need to get children to school, to shop and all those sorts of normal things," she said.

"For those who live alone and don't have family support, learning to drive would be an insurmountable challenge without learn-to-drive programs provided by organisations such as the Northern Suburbs Community Centre."

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