NSWALC Employment & Training Company - Community Consultations

NSWALC has committed, under Goal 3 of its Strategic Plan 2018-2022 to establish an employment and training company. Our vision is to increase the number of Aboriginal people achieving economic independence through improved access to training and jobs in growth industries.

We are seeking the input of Local Aboriginal Land Council (LALC) members and other Aboriginal people on the proposed model for the new NSWALC employment and training company. This Network Message provides background about the project and the opportunities to attend local discussion forums in July and August to learn more about and give advice on the model.

NSWALC Enterprises and Economic Development Strategies

NSWALC is committed to pursuing economic independence and prosperity for our people. To achieve this we are working to create opportunities for Aboriginal people and LALCs to undertake business ventures, and are also diversifying NSWALC's own business activities in order to provide greater prosperity to future generations.

Establishing an employment and training company is one of NSWALC's economic development initiatives. Other initiatives include the Yarpa NSW Indigenous Business and Employment Hub launched in Western Sydney and the establishment of a social and affordable housing company and a land development capability.

Our philosophy for the proposed NSWALC employment and training company is based on:

·         A strengths-based approach

·         A 'jobs ready; ready jobs' approach

·         Getting a job, then getting a better job.

The proposed company would employ a number of 'Job Linkers' and 'Casework liaison' staff across the state, to support Aboriginal people seeking work. We plan to take a partnership approach - working with big employers, labour hire firms and registered training organisations that are actively seeking to recruit and support Aboriginal staff. The proposed company would also be a Vocational Training and Employment Centre (VTEC) provider and may deliver other Commonwealth funded employment services.

To connect Aboriginal job seekers with local jobs, initially we intend to focus on the infrastructure construction sector, and the ageing and disability sectors. These industries have been chosen because of the significant number of jobs potentially open to Aboriginal people as a result of the construction boom taking place in NSW (particularly in Greater Sydney) and because health and social care is the fastest growing sector for employment in NSW.

Cox Inall Ridgeway has been commissioned to assist with the project

Establishing the new company is a significant undertaking for NSWALC. While some approaches to improving employment outcomes for our people have been successful, others have not. While we have decided to become a VTEC provider we need to be confident that other elements of our proposed service model will result in increased, long term employment for Aboriginal people.

For this reason we have engaged Aden Ridgeway and his team at Cox Inall Ridgeway to undertake a series of consultations with the Land Council network and Aboriginal communities in order to determine whether any adjustments to the employment and training model should be considered and the reasons why. NSWALC has also commissioned other expert consultants to undertake market research on the proposed model.  

July and August consultations on the proposed model

LALC staff and members and other Aboriginal community members are invited to attend discussion forums on the proposed NSWALC employment and training model, including how the model could work with and support activities of LALCs and where NSWALC resources could be best directed.  

Cox Inall Ridgeway will be contacting LALCs and other Aboriginal community members directly with more information on the forums including time and venue.

Once finalised, a report will be presented to the NSWALC Council on the results of the consultation. A summary report will also be published on the NSWALC website and distributed to those who participated in the consultations.

More information

For more information on the workshops contact Cox Inall Ridgeway at sylvie.ellsmore@coxinallridgeway.com.au.  If you have questions about the consultations or this initiative please contact Ms Alix Goodwin on (02) 9869-4418 or nswalcenterprises@alc.org.au.