Empowering First Nations employment and bridging gaps through cultural capability uplift.
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Cultural capability is a life-long learning process. Our Indigenous Business is Everyone’s Business (IBEB) Committee was established across our South Australian offices to uplift our collective cultural capability at a local level by driving awareness, understanding, inclusion and systemic change.
The IBEB Committee advances reconciliation by increasing the awareness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, building collective cultural capability, delivering events, supporting meaningful and stakeholder-informed policy development, and recognising and celebrating the contributions of First Nations peoples.
In 2023, the Committee delivered the inaugural ‘First Nations Meet the Employer Forum’ – this landmark event was the first of its kind hosted by the department in Australia, connecting First Nations job seekers with employers in a culturally safe and collaborative environment.
Prior to the forum, committee members worked collaboratively with metropolitan Employment Facilitators, Support Officers and Employment Service Providers to co-design a culturally informed and safe event, addressing perceived and real barriers to employment and supporting the requirements of First Nations job seekers.
The Employment Service Providers helped the job seekers prepare their resumes, identify job roles and the employers they were interested in, and consider the questions they might want to ask to support their conversations with potential employers – enabling them to get the most from the event. Employers were approached to discuss the arrangements they had in place to support cultural safety and capability development including their broader workplace inclusion agendas, Reconciliation Action Plans and diversity programs – ensuring that they understood what First Nations employees often look for in an employer.
The forum commenced with a Welcome to Country from a Kaurna Elder and a panel of First Nations professionals who shared their career journeys and established the platform for culturally respectful and meaningful conversations between the employers and job seekers.
Approximately 100 participants attended the forum, visiting the booths of 34 employers who were showcasing over 400 job roles between them. Participants were able to network, discuss their careers and interests, and confidently share their resumes directly with their employers of choice.
The feedback from participants was overwhelmingly positive with many highlighting the diversity of employers and the forum’s strong sense of inclusion and cultural respect – exemplifying how culturally responsive initiatives can contribute meaningfully to bridging employment gaps and fostering inclusive workplaces.
A second ‘First Nations Meet the Employer Forum’ was held in 2024. Following on from the success of both forums, the IBEB Committee is continuing to drive purpose-led action and are now considering plans to expand the forum to regional areas across South Australia.
Image: First Nations Meet-the-Employer team members: top row, left to right – Angelina Manera, Kerry Bray, Carly MacGregor, Edwina Spanos, Tricia Hennessy, Tracey Brealey, Polly Kretschmer, Alan Sibbons. Middle – Kerrie Kartambis. Bottom row, left to right – Danielle Dowdell, Daisy Chavez and Jody Siyi Liu