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Senator Scullion’s speech on Indigenous Employment by Sen. Nigel Scullion 15 December 2013
I
rise to acknowledge the very special work that is done by corporate Australia in assisting government to get one of our major priorities for Indigenous affairs underway. Our priorities are getting kids to school, getting adults into work and providing for safer communities. I would like to acknowledge how the corporate sector is quietly but surely taking a very important leadership role on the second of these priority policy areas. Recently I spoke in this chamber about the need to recognise that Indigenous families share the same aspirations as every family. We all hope that our sons and daughters achieve a fantastic future for themselves and, of course, for future generations. We do need results. Unfortunately, indicators have shown that outcomes simply have not improved and, in some areas, are getting worse. We need a new way to work with Indigenous people so they can engage with the economy to break out of the spiral of poverty, neglect and marginalisation. Sadly, the employment rate for Aboriginal and Islander Australians has gone backwards over the last six years. So it is of some urgency that we do something to reverse this trend and the corrosive effects of welfare that go with that. The people who can assist us most are, of course, the employers and corporate Australia. They are the ones who create
Senator Nigel Scullion talking with some workers at Hermannsburg. Senator Scullion urges all Australians to play their part by taking action in their sphere of influence to further engage Aboriginal men and women in employment.
demand for Aboriginal and Islander workers. I would like to acknowledge the work of Andrew Forrest of Fortescue Metals Group. He established the Australian Employment Covenant, an industry led initiative that attracted over 60,000 job pledges from 338 employers. Over 15,000 of these jobs have been filled. This is a real breakthrough. A lesson learned through the covenant is that we need a demand-driven approach where the employer provides the job and the job seeker is trained. The sad thing is that too often the job seeker is trained with no job guarantee at the end —and, in fact, no real connection to the job. The days of training for training’s sake need to end. Aboriginal and Islander people in FMG comprise some 12.5 per cent of the permanent, long-term, fully employed workforce.
Andrew Forrest’s groups also work with the Indigenous Construction Resource Group. This is an Indigenous focused mine services company that has developed an extensive Indigenous labour network across Australia. It has grown at a stellar rate, with more than $50 million in contracts in 2013. This is a fantastic initiative getting into the services industry and mining, which everyone in the business world would acknowledge is the place to be if you are growing small to medium enterprises. The government in its election platform committed $45 million to create job opportunities for up to 5,000 Indigenous Australians under the GenerationOne demand-driven employment model. The model, based on Mr Forrest’s vocational training and employment centres, will ensure that Aboriginal and Islander trainees receive practical training, with a job guarantee when they are
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skilled up. hundreds of school based trainees creating their own business The Business Council of every year and converting them into opportunities. Australia is another organisation ongoing employees. I was lucky enough, whilst that is doing a fantastic job, as The Commonwealth Bank has visiting Camooweal in Western are all of its members, working established an Indigenous customer Queensland, to visit the Myuma with larger corporations to assistance line to service remote training program. provide Aboriginal and Islander Aboriginal clients. It has reached an impressive Australians with meaningful work It was a great innovation of the milestone this year: it has increased opportunities. bank, and I know the other banks its intake fivefold since it first In the last 12 months alone, their are starting to talk in the same area began in 2006. members placed 3,500 Aboriginal and will shortly follow suit. This is a program that has and Islander people in jobs and Transfield, another great been equipping young men and traineeships. Australian company, has brought women, mostly from disadvantaged The Business Council members their Indigenous employment backgrounds, to get them ready for have a total Indigenous workforce numbers up to 4.5 per cent of their work in 10 weeks. of just over 20,000 people. workforce. Colin Saltmere is an outstanding Members have provided This is an outstanding result, and Australian and a very proud $2billion for Indigenous business they need to be commended. Queenslander who I think has contracts. And there are many others. shown the way. That is $2billion worth of Recently I visited the I know there are those from contracts for Indigenous businesses. CopperChem mine at Cloncurry in other parts of this chamber who They also have a number of joint Queensland. would know about his work and the ventures and, on top of that, have The project is committed to work of his organisation. contributed over 100,000 hours on local Aboriginal employment and He runs a commercial business. a pro bono basis. community development. He focuses on the employer. That is all in the last 12 Without their vacancies months. and his constant pressure Scullion: Our priorities are getting kids for them, he would not It shows that there is so to school, getting adults into work and much goodwill out there, have a business model. and it is being harnessed Graduates from this providing for safer communities. in a very positive way. model program are I congratulate Business able to start work with Council of Australia CEO Jennifer It is an incredible change. CopperChem, as rangers based in Westacott and the Indigenous Instead of fly-in-fly-out workers, Mount Isa or Longreach or with Engagement Taskforce for all your which is the convention at almost any of the other employers. work in supporting your members every mine we see in Australia, They are looking for work-ready and achieving this marvellous they have decided that they are people. outcome. going to invest in local Aboriginal When you visit his facility, Some of Australia’s best and Islander workers. the rangers are on one side in the known companies are engaged— The mine has a purpose-built morning, checking out all the cars Woolworths, for example. training facility which provides and doing their rangering things. It is possibly not well training to new recruits who have There are a bunch of mining known that it is possibly the a guaranteed job on the mine when trainees taking off to the quarry biggest employer of Indigenous they graduate. to have on-the-job experiential Australians, with around 2,800 It was fantastic to meet Scott training, which is very valuable. Indigenous employees. Seymour, who runs the store at the He needs to be commended. Coles is another major player mine site—a real character and well I congratulate the visionaries, putting in a substantial effort. known around the area. including the many I have not They have invested in He had nothing but praise for named, who go about their work six Indigenous employment CopperChem. without acknowledgement. coordinators to drive their He said that, basically, they give I urge all Australians to play commitment, and I know the everyone a fair go; if you want to their part by taking action in their numbers of Aboriginal and Islander have a crack, you will get a job. sphere of influence to further employees are growing rapidly. There are many other examples engage Aboriginal men and women All four of our major banks are at the local level where Aboriginal in employment. doing an outstanding job taking on and Islander Australians are Page 2