Decades-long friendship the catalyst for WorkPac’s first Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP)
Australia’s largest privately owned recruitment company WorkPac, will launch the company’s Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) in Perth, Wednesday the 1st of March, to complement its pioneering Indigenous Workforce division, JobTrail, in connecting Traditional Owners, business, and governments, in growing strong, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workforces.WorkPac Founder and Chairman, Phil Smart, was the driving force in creating the group’s own division dedicated to fostering equality in Australian workplaces – an undertaking that evolved through his 25-year friendship with Albert Bowie.“The Bowie family, whose tribal heritage is from Badu and Erub in the Torres Strait and Palm Island, and Nancy Bowie (nee Go Sam) from the Jirrbal and Ngadgon-Jii tribes in Far North Queensland have a strong history of business ownership and are well-respected in the Indigenous community,” Mr. Smart said.“Albert and his family have been active in the reconciliation movement, and have been pivotal in helping us to increase Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participation, create more culturally safe and tolerant workplaces, and give workers the opportunity to contribute to new projects, industries, services, products and ways of doing business, right across Australia,” he said.WorkPac Group Managing Director, Mr. Praanesh Prasad said, “this is a long-term commitment to working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in communities where we operate”.WorkPac and its JobTrail division will launch its RAP with a traditional Aboriginal dance performance, followed by a Welcome to Country, at Kuditj, 201 Beaufort Street Perth.JobTrail Regional Manager Julian Genn, said the event was an important step in the group’s journey toward a brighter future for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.“Attracting, recruiting, on boarding and supporting Indigenous workers is a dedicated function that many companies need external support to undertake successfully,” Mr. Genn said.“But one of our keys to success is that we involve Traditional Owners and Elders in our projects and create genuine partnerships in regions to drive community engagement, enabling us to deliver program outcomes that are aligned with Indigenous employment targets.“The Bowie family has helped us every step of the way in this journey so we could minimise the challenges, and connect with the community in a way that’s enabled JobTrail to provide ongoing holistic support,” he said.To learn more about WorkPac's journey to reconciliation, click here.Click here to watch our video on the story of WorkPac's Reconciliation Action Plan artwork.
WorkPac donates $20,000 and car to youth program in Blackwater
WorkPac and its indigenous division JobTrail, is partnering with Wesfarmers to sponsor the Police Citizens Youth Club’s Braking the Cycle program in Blackwater.The launch of the program was held at the Blackwater PCYC yesterday in the Central Highlands Region of Queensland.The program provides disadvantaged youth with the opportunity to obtain their driving licence through the support of a volunteer mentor network and access to a vehicle.Members of the police force and local council attended the launch with representatives from WorkPac, Wesfarmers Curragh and the Queensland Department of Transport.Sergeant Dominic Richardson, PCYC Branch Manager, spoke about the importance of holding a drivers licence, explaining that it was a core life and work skill in a community where there is no public transport.A drivers licence is a standard employment requirement and without access to a car and family support, it can become a barrier too large to overcome.WorkPac donated the vehicle and $20,000 to help fund expenses such as fuel and servicing.Giving the community access to a vehicle and providing a supportive network of mentors who can assist with the required 100 log hours helps young people break the cycle of disadvantage.Pictured left to right: Julian Genn, JobTrail; Liz Blythe, Wesfarmers Curragh; Sgt Dominic Richardson, PCYC Blackwater; Rachel Schurmann, PCYC Blackwater.Pictured: The first participants in the Braking the Cycle program.
How to get work on the Canberra Light Rail Project [Infographic]
The Canberra Light Rail Project will connect Canberrans and enhance community wellbeing through reliable public transport and better cycling facilities.The new public transport network, estimated at $783 million including risk contingency, is integrating busses with a Light Rail Network to support the growing and changing city.Canberra’s population is projected to increase from 390,000 to over 500,000 in the next two decades and has the highest car dependency of any Australian capital city.Check out our infographic to learn more about the project and Canberra Light Rail jobs.