Petra Stride and Michael Wilson from our Employment Solutions site in St George, Queensland, have been awarded Mission Australia’s first annual Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) Award for their commitment to local job seekers.
The Mission Australia Reconciliation Action Plan was developed to improve employment opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Mission Australia Employment Solutions is a key driver of the plan, helping job seekers source quality jobs that match their capabilities and long-term goals through employment assistance and training.
Petra and Michael have endured three floods in 12 months – but always put their clients above themselves.
Mission Australia Employment Solutions St George Office Business Manager Harry Liaubon said the award was well-deserved.
“We’re extremely proud of Petra and Michael,” he said. “They constantly go above and beyond to give their clients the best quality of service and achieve the best outcomes.”
“They share a caseload of over 100 clients – and two-thirds are of Aboriginal heritage. The trust and relationships that Petra and Michael have built with the local people are an essential part of providing employment opportunities in the community.
“Thanks to Petra and Michael, Mission Australia Employment Solutions is the employer service provider of choice for Aboriginal people in the community,” he added.
This is not the first time the pair has been recognised. Last year, the Mission Australia Employment Solutions St George office was awarded the St George NAIDOC Business of the Year Award by the local Aboriginal community.
To find out how the organisation can help you to find a job or hire employees, visit employmentsolutions.com.au
With its origins reaching back to the 1920s, NAIDOC Week represents a celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and an opportunity to recognise the contributions of Aboriginal Australians in various fields.
NAIDOC is celebrated not only in Aboriginal communities, but by Australians from all walks of life. Wherever you live, you can take part in NAIDOC Week celebrations.
Mission Australia is passionate about creating a fairer Australia for all. So it’s not just during NAIDOC week that we speak up. We are focused on running programs and creating opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders 52 weeks of every year.
This week we will see a range of activities take place across the nation and I encourage all of our supporters and partners to get behind this important week by participating in a local event.
Mission Australia continues to improve its services and programs to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders who are experiencing disadvantage – starting with our second Reconciliation Action Plan report recently receiving very positive feedback from Reconciliation Action Australia.
Cafe One in Brisbane is going strong, the new Aherlkeme Village in Alice Springs, our post-release programs, our Aboriginal driver education program, cultural revisitation programs, men’s cultural groups and our St George Employment Solutions team, recently recognised with a local Business of the Year Award for helping to break down barriers to employment for local Aboriginal people.
Importantly, communities across Australia are proactively engaged with Mission Australia through Steve Cochrane, our National Aboriginal Adviser.
We don’t pretend it’s going to be easy: it ‘s going to be a lot of hard work over long period of time to get things right, but at our heart is the passion to help people to look after themselves in the long-term, and we can help give them the capacity to do that.
The night provided a chance for Melbourne's business community to celebrate Aboriginal culture, discuss ways to provide real opportunities for Aboriginal Australians and sample the native flavours of Charcoal Lane – our social enterprise restaurant in Fitzroy.
The event, held on the eve of Reconciliation Week was a huge success, attracting over 250 attendees including Elders and members of Victoria's Aboriginal community and leaders from government, corporate and not-for-profit sectors.
Throughout the evening guests heard from Hon Minister Jeanette Powell, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, and Stephen Roberts, Chief Country Officer and CEO Institutional Clients Group, Citi Australia and New Zealand, who provided keynote speeches.
In addition, Rueben Berg from Aboriginal Affairs Victoria coordinated a 'Thought Leaders' panel, which included a speech from Toby Hall, CEO of Mission Australia.
Guests were also entertained during the event by the music of James Williams, CEO of 3KnD Radio – Melbourne’s first Indigenous radio station.
Mission Australia would like to thank the Victoria Government (Aboriginal Affairs Victoria), Reconciliation Australia, Sofitel Melbourne, Accor, Citi and Red Letter Management.
Mission Australia encourages all its supporters, staff and volunteers to participate in this important week by taking part in activities in your community or simply reflecting on what this week is all about.
Reconciliation Australia wants us to think about what it means to feel recognised, and how valuable that is for our self-esteem and our ability to recognise the best in others.
Recognition is important to all of us, of course. It is crucial for Indigenous Australians, whose existence and rights as traditional owners have been overlooked in history – and who continue to struggle for justice and equality today.
As the first Australian charity to develop a Reconciliation Action Plan, this is a topic close to our heart as an organisation and this vital national conversation will help us create a fairer Australia for all.
The theme of recognition is also timely. The Federal Government recently established a panel to consider amending the Constitution to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people within it, and we may all have the chance to vote in a referendum on this issue in the near future.
Mission Australia kicked off Reconciliation Week last night with our second annual Taste of Reconciliation dinner, held at the Sofitel Melbourne on Collins. The night provided a chance for Melbourne's business community to celebrate Aboriginal culture, discuss ways to provide real opportunities for Aboriginal Australians and sample the native flavours of Charcoal Lane - our social enterprise restaurant in Fitzroy.
Mission Australia encourages all its supporters, staff and volunteers to participate in this important week by taking part in activities in your community or simply reflecting on what this week is all about.
More than 250 of Victoria's business and Aboriginal leaders will meet to consider ways to tackle Aboriginal disadvantage and enhance reconciliation at the Taste of Reconciliation event on May 25th.
The event, which will examine business solutions to alleviate the inequality experienced by Aboriginals, will feature Victorian Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Jeanette Powell and Chief Country Officer and CEO Clients Institutional Group, Citi Australia and New Zealand, Stephen Roberts.
Mr Roberts, who is Chair of the Australian Indigenous Minority Supplier Council, a group which provides purchasing links between corporate Australia, government agencies and indigenous-owned businesses, will advise how businesses can get involved in reconciliation.
Mission Australia Victorian State Director Paul Bird said Taste of Reconciliation, the state's premier celebratory reconciliation event, primarily provides corporate and indigenous Victoria an opportunity to come together to talk about practical ways to overcome Aboriginal disadvantage
"Victoria's businesses can play a hugely significant role in furthering reconciliation by promoting job growth, skills development and boosting individual self-confidence," said Mr Bird.
"Purchasing, where possible, products and services from Aboriginal suppliers, providing opportunities for Aboriginal trainees and apprentices and hiring Aboriginal employees are all ways in which corporate Australia can make a real difference," he said.
According to Mr Bird, while the Victorian Government has made progress through its funding of Reconciliation Victoria, the Indigenous Honour Roll initiative and supporting leadership and mentoring programs for Aboriginal youth, more can be done by government, business and community service organisations to renew their commitment to reconciliation.
"That's what Taste of Reconciliation is about - assisting in that renewal by providing an event where business leaders and the Aboriginal community can meet to discuss ways forward," said Mr Bird.
And leading by example, Mission Australia, through its own Reconciliation Action Plan, exceeded its goal for increasing the number of employees who identified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander with 120 staff members, almost five per cent of their total workforce, coming from these backgrounds.
Taste of Reconciliation - Wednesday, 25 May 2011
Time: 6.30pm to 10pm
Place: Sofitel Melbourne on Collins, 25 Collins Street, Melbourne
Ways Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians can work together to create more sustainable employment was the focus of yesterday’s Generation One ideas forum.
Generation One, an initiative led by Fortescue Metals Group CEO Andrew Forrest, aims to eliminate Aboriginal disadvantage within one generation.
The panel, which was moderated by journalist and SBS Insight presenter Jenny Brockie, discussed the gap existing between school-leavers and work-ready, skilled employees; practical workplace training and the need to convince Aboriginal parents that genuine opportunities exist for their children.
“The elephant in the room is a culture that you can find anywhere, including in very wealthy families – the welfare culture,” said Mr Forrest. “If things are given to you, you lose your drive… We need to demand more of our Aboriginal brothers and sisters.”
Both Ms Cilento and Mr Forrest agreed that more businesses now see the benefits of workplace diversity and are trying to implement policies and structures to support the employment of more Aboriginal Australians.
Mr McQualter said ANZ’s Aboriginal training and employment scheme had awakened the non-Aboriginal workforce’s need for balanced information about Aboriginal cultures. He also thought it necessary to “set the bar higher” when it came to what Aboriginal children learn at school.
Enabling Aboriginal people to easily transition into the next phase of their careers was very important, said Mr Lester, who would like to “see our fellow brothers and sisters at all levels of business”. He added that helping young people to complete Year 12 and start to build a strong career path and mindset early on was crucial.
For Ms Armstrong, mentoring had to be a core part of any professional development strategy.
When comments were fielded from the audience, Mission Australia’s National Aboriginal Advisor, Steve Cochrane, told the forum if change is to occur we must “embed in people the need to strive in education… Sport is not all things – when you leave school you must be good enough academically to participate at uni. Kids are not prepared for what is ahead at uni.”
On being asked for one development that would lead to lasting employment for Aboriginal Australians, Mr Forrest said real change will only come when government convinces Aboriginal people the end of disparity is in sight and a collective decision is made regarding the skills needed by industry and employees.
Ms Cilento and Mr Lester agreed that regional employment strategies that create opportunities for local communities would facilitate change, while Ms Armstrong said community-led initiatives were the “main ingredient”.
After the forum, Mr Cochrane said that while any discussion on ways to close the gap was welcome, there was still a pressing need for business and the wider community to address cultural safety – that is, creating an environment of shared experience and knowledge.
