Congratulations to Latryce Pearse winner of our NAIDOC artwork competition
Latryce Pearse a WorkPac Machine Operator at Rio Tinto Gove is the winner of the WorkPac’s inaugural National NAIDOC artwork competition. Her artwork ‘Arnhem Resilience’', illustrates how European contact challenged Indigenous people and tried to divide our communities.The competition was a chance for talented Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists who are employed by the WorkPac Group to be recognised across Australia. JobTrail General Manager Julian Genn explained, “To help WorkPac & JobTrail celebrate NAIDOC week we invited our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees to submit artworks for the inaugural 2020 WorkPac National NAIDOC Artwork Competition.”“The winning artist receives a $500 prize and the artwork has been used to create our 2020 WorkPac NAIDOC week shirt which will be worn by WorkPac staff across Australia.” “We are thrilled to congratulate our competition winner Latryce Pearse, a Machine Operator at Rio Tinto’s Gove Operations, said Mr Genn.Latryce’s father is Yolngu from Nhulunbuy and her mother is Tahitian (French Polynesian). The local language in Nhulunbuy in Yolngu Matha. Ms Pearce explains “My favourite part of NAIDOC is that it gives Indigenous people the opportunity to showcase their talent from all around the country.” “I decided I wanted each piece of artwork to represent both sides of my Aboriginal & Polynesian heritage. “So I started to incorporate bright colours and traditional Indigenous symbols and patterns.“I also love to use the acrylic pour method in some of my pieces to usually symbolise flowing rivers. “I get a lot of my inspiration from other Indigenous artists around Australia.”Ms Pearce’s NAIDOC art represents how European contact challenged Indigenous people and tried to divide our communities. It shows that mother earth provided the rivers and medicine leaves to the people to provide healing and protection. Indigenous people have held it's strong culture, spirit and connection to the land and seas. "Always was Always will be" the healer and protector of the people.Born in Nhulunbuy, Ms Pearce has also lived in Brisbane for 10 years, and Darwin for 3 years. “I came back home to Gove because it’s one of the best places in Australia in my opinion! ‘I love the easy going lifestyle, I love fishing and camping, exploring the crystal clear beaches and islands. ‘And I have a lot of family here from both sides, so I’m very lucky. Ms Pearce started working for WorkPac as a Machine Operator in July 2020.She said “I love that [this job is] a new industry to what my previous roles have typically been (Admin / Accounts based) and that I’m learning a new skill!”“I also love my roster, 4 days on 4 days off.”NAIDOC events will be held virtually by WorkPac this year. The company will hold a national online event with guest speakers and performers.The 2020 NADIOC theme: Always Was, Always Will Be. recognises that First Nations people have occupied and cared for this continent for over 65,000 years.Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were Australia’s first explorers, first navigators, first engineers, first farmers, first botanists, first scientists, first diplomats, first astronomers and first artists.NAIDOC 2020 invites all Australians to embrace the true history of this country – a history which dates back thousands of generations.It’s about seeing, hearing, and learning the First Nations’ 65,000+ year history of this country - which is Australian history. We want all Australians to celebrate that we have the oldest continuing cultures on the planet and to recognise that our sovereignty was never ceded.Learn more about NAIDOC https://www.naidoc.org.au/get-involved/2020-theme
WorkPac and JobTrail Return as Sponsors of the MADALAH Ball
WorkPac and JobTrail have proudly continued our relationship with MADALAH by returning as sponsors of the annual MADALAH Ball, held in Perth over the weekend.Focused on supporting Indigenous youth through education, the organisation offers secondary, transition and tertiary education scholarships at leading schools and universities for students from remote and regional communities in Western Australia.Established in 2016, the MADALAH Ball is an annual event that helps the organisation raise funds to grow their services. Since being founded the event has been able to fund 49 additional scholarships for students in WA, which will be used to give kids the best start possible through invaluable education opportunities.WorkPac’s relationship with the organisation began last year, and since then our Indigenous employment division JobTrail have been fortunate enough to work closely with them. National Manager for JobTrail, Julian Genn, is proud that the team has been able to forge partnerships like this that are making a difference.“Having this relationship gives us the opportunity to engage with the students, which means we can directly see the impact of our funding”.“Both JobTrail and WorkPac feel that supporting education is vital, particularly as it offers opportunities to upskill youth to help them find employment locally, which keeps regional and rural Australia thriving”“JobTrail in WA is working on some other exciting joint ventures with MADALAH in Broome, and we look forward to continuing our relationship and returning as sponsors for the ball in 2020”.If you want to learn more about MADALAH and the great work that they’re doing in WA, you can visit their website here
Two years on from our first Reconciliation Action Plan
Two years on from the original launch of our RAP and we have been able to achieve our initial goals, targeting relationships, respect, opportunities, and tracking and progress. Through numerous trainee programs that we have run across Australia with several major companies, we have been able to increase our Indigenous workforce by 265%WorkPac and JobTrail proudly launched our first Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) in 2017, following an extensive consultation between members of our executive team and Traditional Owners and Indigenous leaders, including Albert Bowie and the Bowie family.We built our RAP around a vision to help create and advance strong, inclusive communities involving all Australians through active promotion of the benefits of increasing Indigenous employment and training participation, heightening cultural awareness and building mutually respectful relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and other Australians.VIEW OUR 2017-2019 RECONCILIATION ACTION PLAN HERE >>> With so many of WorkPac’s 40+ business centres based in regional and remote Australia, we feel we have a greater responsibility when it comes to providing employment, education and training opportunities for Indigenous Australians in the communities we operate in.Two years on from the original launch of our RAP and we have been able to achieve our initial goals, targeting relationships, respect, opportunities, and tracking and progress. JobTrail and the WorkPac Group have been able to build strong relationships with Traditional Owner groups across Australia, which has both helped us in providing employment opportunities to Indigenous Australians and in building support systems for those employees.“WHEN THE TRADITIONAL OWNERS TALK ABOUT JOBS, THEY TALK ABOUT JOBTRAIL. THAT’S WHO WE WANT TO WORK WITH!”– GRAHAM SAUNEY (UNCLE COOKIE)TRADITIONAL OWNER WIDI & BARADA BARNA –Through numerous trainee programs that we have run across Australia with several major companies, we have been able to increase our Indigenous workforce by 265%. We have also engaged consistently with WorkPac employees over the past two years sharing our joint commitment on our reconciliation journey, providing tools such as cultural awareness training to build further education and understanding across the business.“KOINMERBURRA ABORIGINAL CORPORATION WOULD LIKE TO CONGRATULATE JOBTRAIL, SAMUEL, MIDDLEMOUNT SOUTH AND THE PARTICIPANTS ON THE SUCCESS OF YOUR PROGRAM AND CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR PEOPLES AND COMMUNITIES. WE WISH YOU ALL WELL IN YOUR FUTURE ENDEAVOURS AND FUTURE PROGRAMS.”– DIRECTORS OF KOINMERBURRA ABORIGINAL CORPORATION –Since launching the RAP, we have also been finalists in a number of Reconciliation and Diversity Awards. In 2017 we were highly commended at the Queensland Reconciliation Awards, and in 2018 we were runners up for the ‘Best Company Indigenous Employment and Training Initiative Award’ at the Queensland Resources Council Indigenous Awards, and finalists for the ‘Excellence in Diversity Programs & Performance’ at the 2019 Resources Awards for Women.… “[THIS PROGRAM PROVIDES] MENTORSHIP, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE THAT THE STUDENTS WILL TAKE AWAY WITH THEMFOR LIFELONG LEARNING. IT ALSO PROVIDES BHP WITH FANTASTIC EMPLOYEES FOR THE FUTURE.”– BARBARA SHEEHYBHP SPECIALIST INDIGENOUS EMPLOYMENT -We are proud of what has been achieved so far, but there is still a long way to go. We look forward to continuing our involvement in events such as NAIDOC Week and Reconciliation Week, as well as launching our next RAP in early 2019 and continuing this journey.To learn more about how we can partner with you to help increase the diversity and inclusion in your workforce talk to us today.Call: 1800 255 472Email: info@jobtrailatsi.com.auFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/JobTrailATSIAlso, check out our related post on https://www.workpac.com/blog/diversity-in-the-workforce/
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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.
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JobTrail partners with Queensland State Government and Mackay community to launch Indigenous career preparation program
Job Trail, Indigenous workforce specialist and member of the WorkPac Group, is joining forces with Traditional Owners, Indigenous and local businesses and State Government departments to launch the Let’s Walk Together career preparation program for Indigenous school leavers.An information session on the Let’s Walk Together program, held in South Mackay last Thursday, encouraged school leavers to sign-up for the program before its official launch in March.Bowen Basin Services and JobTrail will lead the Let’s Walk Together program, providing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander school-leavers with educational training and cultural support to help identify and map their preferred career pathway. Julian Genn, JobTrail Regional Manager, says the program will grow a talented Indigenous workforce in the Mackay region.“Ultimately we aim to improve Indigenous life outcomes and we are optimistic about a fairer, more inclusive future with proper recognition of the past. This lasting change starts at a local level with education and employment,” Mr Genn said.“Let’s Walk Together is designed to address educational needs in a holistic way, incorporating cultural considerations”.“The Traditional Owners will be involved in the project and genuine partnerships we’ve formed in the region will drive community engagement, enabling us to deliver program outcomes aligned with Indigenous employment targets”.Melisha Johnson was enthusiastic about joining the program and signed up at the information session on Thursday.“The program is an excellent way to help year 13 Indigenous students like myself to get back into study or into the workforce,” Ms Johnson said.“We will be working in close links with JobTrail and Bowen Basin Services, which I think will help us get an understanding of how each organisation can help”.“Let’s Walk Together helps get year 13 kids up and out of bed and into some sort of study or work. I’m sure after the program everyone who participated will appreciate the hard work of each and every person who has made the program possible for us”.Alkira Compass, a 100% owned and operated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander business, is contributing key strategies and processes throughout the journey.Mareshah Bowie, Alkira Compass representative, says Let’s Walk Together is about empowering Indigenous school-leavers to understand their connections to identity and community so they can take hold of their own future.“This program offers Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander school-leavers the opportunity to make better-informed decisions about their future pathways with the support of their cultural community connections,” Ms Bowie said.Representatives from the Queensland Government’s Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships (DATSIP) and the Department of Education and Training (DET) strongly endorsed the program.Peter Buckland, Director for the DATSIP Mackay Service Centre spoke about empowering a capable and productive Indigenous workforce with enhanced accountability and offered ongoing support and mentorship to the program participants.'Bruce Williams, Professional Facilitator at Aus IDentities, will work with the students to build self-directed strategies around workplace resilience, communication and self-worth while overcoming negative thinking patterns and focusing on identity construction.Gold Training will also provide training resources to encourage participants to enter an industry of their choice.Schools Pathways Manager at Gold Training, Celeste Grice focused on the importance of learning and will facilitate nationally recognised training relevant to the career goals of each school leaver.If you would like more information on the Let’s Walk Together program or would like to get involved, please contact:Abi Ah Wong, Program Coordinator, Bowen Basin ServicesAahWong@ViaTraining.com.au 07 4951 3462Julian Genn, Regional Manager, JobTrailJulian.Genn@jobtrailatsi.com.au 07 32512276
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