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Look local for workers
Employment groups urge smaller businesses to open their doors to indigenous workers, writes Fran Metcalf
As Reconciliation Week draws to a close, employers are being urged to look for staff in their own back yards before importing them from other parts of the state or country.
Aboriginal Employment Strategy chief executive officer Danny Lester says large organisations such as the National Australia Bank and Qantas are already committed to indigenous employment programs but small and middle-sized companies need to follow suit.
‘‘Hiring local people creates stability in communities where companies operate,’’ he says.
‘‘They’ll build up great success in terms of sustainable, working economies and they’ll help close the employment gap in Australia.
‘‘Indigenous unemployment is four times bigger than non-indigenous. It’s well over 20 per cent.’’
Queensland organisations including Australian Catholic University, Blue Care and the Commonwealth Bank received awards at a ceremony last week for their commitment to reconciliation.
The AES is a not-for-profit, indigenous-owned and operated recruitment company with 85 staff in 13 different offices across the country.
It has been operating for 12 years and has had significant success with school-based traineeships but Lester says the four major banks are responsible for 55 per cent of the 420 AES traineeships created to date.
‘‘Of the top 20 companies in the sharemarket, we are working with about 50 per cent but small to medium enterprises are the heart and soul of our economy,’’ Lester says.
Some companies, like hotel chain Accors, are appointing in-house indigenous engagement officers to explore new employment methods, foster cross-cultural awareness and develop engagement activities.
Other firms work with Job Services Australia providers such as Sarina Russo, and other companies to seek, hire, train, mentor and retain indigenous candidates.
Sarina Russo indigenous services co-ordinator Violet Standen says the construction, hospitality, aged care, security and horticulture industries have hired more indigenous workers in recent years.
This is partly driven by funding incentives and subsidies offered by government but Standen says many employers are now aware of the value of creating a diverse workforce.
Standen says some employers offer pre-employment programs which help indigenous job-seekers get ready for the workplace.
‘‘The indigenous person can do whatever training qualification the employer needs and that covers about five weeks and gets them job-ready,’’ she says.
‘‘They get used to the culture of the company, what to expect when they start, the hours and what they’ll be doing. Then, the employer can offer a traineeship or general employment.’’
Standen mentors indigenous workers and delivers training in cultural awareness for employers wanting to create in-house indigenous employment programs.
‘‘I talk about the shame factor – the shyness or lack of confidence that many indigenous people have when it comes to informing their employer of an issue,’’ she says.
Lester says the AES engages with local indigenous communities on behalf of employers to source the best talent with the necessary skills.
‘‘Once we build a relationship with an employer and we understand what makes their origination work, the key thing is sourcing and assessing each individual career seeker to determine if they’re right for the job,’’ he says.
