The Jawun Secondment Program connects skilled staff from government and corporate organisations with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to support locally driven projects and deliver socio-economic outcomes. Our department supports the program by releasing team members on short-term secondments, where they contribute their expertise while learning from community leaders. This helps build stronger relationships, supports community goals, and gives staff valuable cultural understanding and leadership experience.
Tyler’s Jawun Story
Image: Tyler Hesketh
Senior Project Officer,
Central Australia Training Hubs
My name is Tyler Hesketh. I work in the Place-based Delivery and Data Access Team in the First Nations and Inclusion Branch. In 2024, I was extremely fortunate to be selected on the Round 3 Jawun Secondment to the Goulburn-Murray region in Victoria. The Goulburn-Murray region is the traditional land of the Yorta Yorta people and is one of the twelve regions where the Jawun partnership model operates across Australia.
For my secondment, I was assigned to Njernda Aboriginal Corporation in Echuca, Victoria. Njernda is a community-controlled organisation that delivers holistic services and programs aimed at enhancing the physical, emotional, cultural and spiritual wellbeing of the Aboriginal community and surrounding areas.
My main assignment was to complete an Organisational Health Check to understand the current operating environment of Njernda, providing a base for thinking and talking about Njernda’s organisational health, helping to identify areas of strength, future focus and development.
I consulted with Senior Leadership across all of the main business areas within Njernda to understand their perspective and beliefs, and to create meaningful activities that support their goals. This culminated in a presentation to the CEO of Njernda, which guided further discussions on business initiatives and helped embed the importance of evaluation and monitoring practices within the organisation.
This was one of the most enriching experiences of my career, deepening my appreciation of Aboriginal culture and the power of connection— both to Country and to people—while challenging my thinking, pushing me beyond my comfort zone, and reinforcing that meaningful relationships and impact are what truly endure.