Emu Australia makes upmarket sheepskin boots and slippers in a modest factory in Geelong.

Its team of 22 skilled workers cut, sew, glue and pack about 350 pairs of shoes each day, most of which are sold to the domestic market.

But in recent years factory manager Steve Maul has had trouble finding experienced shoemakers to keep up with demand.

Turns out, shoemaking is not a career many young people are interested in these days.

"It's a dying industry really, so there's no youngies out there to collect," Mr Maul said.

"I don't think kids want to do this type of work and they move around a lot nowadays, whereas in the old days you had a job and you stayed with the job.

"They come for six months or a year and then they're looking around wanting to do something else."

Unfinished sheepskin boots on a rack in the Emu Australia factory in Geelong. ( ABC News: Nicole Mills )

But that all changed when Syrian migrant Anas Jawish came knocking on the factory door.

After two years of living in Australia he was struggling to find work.

But a surprising advertisement for a shoemaker in this regional town offered him a glimmer of hope.

With 20 years' experience making shoes in Syria, and almost five more in Turkey, Mr Jawish knew this was his best chance to find work in the industry he knew best.

"I moved to Australia in 2016," he said.

"First I go to English class, then quickly I finished the course with the Gordon [TAFE] and then I come to here to Emu Australia."

With the help of MatchWorks employment agency, Mr Jawish had sent off a résumé but Mr Maul admitted it was initially passed over.

Many of his crew have experience from the good old days when Geelong was a manufacturing powerhouse, having worked on the factory floor at Ford or shoe company Grosby.

It wasn't until Mr Jawish turned up on his doorstep that he decided to give the determined jobseeker a chance.

"He just came out of the blue, really," Mr Maul said.

"He sent me a résumé but I didn't have him in the first chunk, but then he came and saw me, so he was putting a bit of pressure on.

"I ummed and ahhed and thought, 'why not give him a try, he wants a job, he needs a job'. He's been fantastic."

Factory manager Steve Maul says Anas Jawish has been a great addition to the team. ( ABC News: Nicole Mills )

Mr Jawish has been working as a clicker for the past 10 months, cutting sheepskin into shape to be sewn into boots.

He said he was used to doing things by hand — in Syria most of the shoes are made in small factories without the help of large machinery.

From the beginning Mr Jawish's understanding of English was good, but he was hesitant to speak it himself.

But after nearly a year on the factory floor, Mr Maul said his English had "improved out of sight".

"It's not a barrier, not at all," he said.

"He's been really good. He fitted in really well with the people. Hopefully we have him for a while."

Sheepskin boots are put through a machine at a very high temperature to glue the soles on. ( ABC News: Nicole Mills )

Mr Jawish is also happy to have finally found work, especially in what is a declining industry in Australia.

According to census data, the number of shoemakers in Australia fell from 1,307 in 2006 to just 930 in 2016.

"I am very happy because when you just study and stay home, it's very boring," he said.

"When you're doing a job, it's good. I'm happy fitting in."