The Public Sector Commission took advantage of NAIDOC Week last week to showcase stories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees in the public sector – the work they do, their personal goals and the difference they want to make to the community.
According to the Commission among the employees it showcased included:
Patricia Elder, a Yindjibarndi–Yamatji woman playing a critical role as the Acting Director Aboriginal Health at the North Metropolitan Health Service;
Brody Campbell, a Graphic Designer at North Metropolitan TAFE integrating his Noongar heritage into the college’s style guide; and
Clayton Kent, a Senior Constable in the WA Police and seventh generation Torres Strait Islander, helping to protect the most vulnerable members of society.
And in the words of the Commission: “There are more…”
The PSC said the sector was committed to increasing the diversity of its workforce to better represent the community it serves.
“The Workforce Diversification and Inclusion Strategy and its six supporting plans have practical actions for both the Commission and Agencies to contribute to better employment outcomes for people of diverse backgrounds,” the PSC said.
“During NAIDOC, we particularly want to focus on First Nations people and encourage them to look at the many opportunities there are to work in the sector.”
The Commission said that among the opportunities were the Aboriginal traineeship program ‘Solid Futures’ for those under 24 years old as well as a school-based traineeship program for students going into Year 11 next year.
“There are internships for university students and programs for those graduating from uni – and more than 20,000 jobs are advertised online each year” it said.
The Commission said that by sharing videos and links to the programs and opportunities available, the sector can achieve its shared goal of having a diverse and inclusive public sector workforce.
The stories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees in the public sector can be accessed on the PSC website at this PS News link and the Workforce Diversification and Inclusion Strategy on this link.
