ABORIGINAL ENGAGEMENTIN THE NSW PUBLIC SECTOR

NSW Premier’s Department | Executive Development Program | November 2009

Recommended Strategies for Employment and Retention

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Project Team Members

Oriana Augustson

Manager Corporate Strategy and Governance

TAFE NSW – South Western Sydney Institute

Niall Macken

Heritage Architect, Planning Heritage and Urban Design

Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority

Derrick Oliver

Manager Membership Administration

NSW Rural Fire Service

Janice Smith

Infrastructure Communications Manager

Roads and Traffic Authority of NSW

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Project Objective

The aim of the project is to identify strategies to engage more Aboriginal people into the NSW Public Service and to support their ongoing career development

 

Why is this question important to answer? 

Each NSW government department has a charter to increase the number of Aboriginal people employed. Following research and an analysis of a selection of NSW Government Agencies, this project identifies strategies that can be adopted to engage and retain Aboriginal staff

  The benefit to the NSW Government is a constructive

and overarching approach of working towards this key objective

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Project Methodology

Review of Government policy Individual Agency strategies TAFE Research

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COAG & NSW Government agenda and policies

COAG Framework NSW State Plan Making it our Business

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Overarching Agreement on Aboriginal Affairs between the Commonwealth of Australia and the State of New South Wales

2005-2010

Intergovernmental Aboriginal Affairs Group

Making It Our Business

Coalition of Australian Governments

Regional Coordination Management Groups

Aboriginal Action Plans

NSW Public Sector Workforce Strategy 2008-

2012

Commonwealth Government

Aboriginal Employment Strategies

Department of Premier and Cabinet

Regional Engagement

Groups

Local level (Shared responsibility agreements)

Two Ways Together

NSW State Government

NSW State Plan

Individual agencies

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Review of Agency AES

Some NSW Government agencies and departments have a specific Aboriginal Employment Strategy, others operate under a broader Human Resources Plan

The level of detail provided is dependent on the specific roles and responsibilities of individual organisations

The NSW public sector has a target to employ 2% of staff who are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people – however this target is not broken down by position (e.g. cadets, trainees and apprentices vs. management or leadership positions)

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Group Member Agency Review

NSW Department of Education and Training – TAFE NSW

Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority NSW Roads and Traffic Authority NSW Rural Fire Service NSW Department of Conservation,

Climate Change and Water NSW Police Force

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DET – TAFE NSW

Workforce Diversity Policy, underpinned by Strategic Human Resources Plan 2009-2011 & Aboriginal Human Resources Development Plan 2009-2011

Key charter - “meeting the needs of Aboriginal people is core business for NSW Public Sector agencies. We have a responsibility to promote the employment of Aboriginal people and support Aboriginal staff once employed”

TAFE NSW has partnered with the DPC to provide sector-wide cultural education and training

In 2008, the Department’s number of employed Aboriginal people was 2.3%

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Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority Aboriginal employment strategy addressed

as part of the overall human resources planning.

Initiatives include signing of a Principles of Cooperation agreement with Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council

Contribution to help provide training, employment and life opportunities for Aboriginal people (eg. Support for the Tribal Warrior Association)

Proposal to employ an Aboriginal tour guide

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NSW Roads & Traffic Authority

Has developed successive Aboriginal Action Plans (AAP) since 2001

Current AAP (2009-2012) involves the implementation of an Aboriginal Employment Strategy (AES) 2009-2012

Commitment to provide employment opportunities to Aboriginal people and to retain them in a supportive and culturally sensitive workplace

Employ an Aboriginal Employment Coordinator to develop the AES

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NSW Roads & Traffic Authority

Target identified positions in the RTA cadetship, graduate programs and apprenticeship positions

New Aboriginal employment advertisement templates focus on entry level employment and school-based scholarships

Developing a dedicated Aboriginal employment website including a database to attract potential job applicants and a dedicated Aboriginal employment hotline

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NSW Rural Fire Service (NSWRFS) Has recently employed an Aboriginal

Liaison Officer (ALO) Currently developing its Human

Resources Strategic Plan employment strategies to increase Aboriginal employment

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NSW Fire Brigades (NSWFB)

No formal Aboriginal Employment Strategy

Salaried position of Aboriginal Liaison Officer with links to the local community

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Dept of Conservation , Climate Change and Water NSW The Aboriginal Employment Strategy (2006-2008)

currently being reworked Key priorities in areas of recruitment, skills

acquisition and career development, retention, cultural awareness, community capacity building

Identifies systemic barriers and behaviours that can hinder employment, retention and progression

Achievements include the use of Identified Positions cadetships and traineeships within the Parks and Wildlife Division

Identified need for an Aboriginal Employment coordinator to manage/direct, monitor and report

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Strategies

Partnerships Industry Links Career Support Cadetships Recruitment (targeted vs non targeted) Representative Bureaucracy Resourcing Whole of Government Support Agency Support

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RTA Indigenous Program

Improving employment outcomes for Aboriginal people in the RTAback row | George Shearer, Garry Ferguson, Graham Purcell, Andrew Whitton, Leanne Thompson-Gordon, Stephen Knightmiddle row | Mark Hartwig, Barry Gunther, Jeff Charlton,Agnes Donovan, Greg Evans, front row | Rodney Simpson, Kylie Stewart, Yvette King, and Mary-Lou Buck

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Acknowledgements and Thanks NSW Premier’s Department Nous Group Our Agencies Our Managers Our Sponsor Our EDP group Our Team Members