News

MDAS sharpens focus on employment

Mon, 12 May 2014 09:42:00

The Mallee’s largest employer of Koori staff has unveiled initiatives to further increase its Indigenous workforce.

Mallee District Aboriginal Services says the longer-term initiatives are aimed at achieving a strong majority of Koori staff on its workforce in the next two years.
MDAS Manager of People and Culture Debbie Fankhauser said the organisation was building from its first three-year Aboriginal Employment Strategy developed last year, with currently about half of the organisation’s staff coming from an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander background.
“In the past six months, we’re pleased that we’ve been able to appoint Aboriginal people to 50% of the positions we have advertised,” said Ms Fankhauser.
“We now have really robust processes around recruiting good staff, so we need to also begin focussing on longer-term initiatives that will help us achieve that longer-term goal of 60% Koori staff by 2016,” Ms Fankhauser said.
MDAS chief executive officer Rudolph Kirby said other initiatives being implemented would now work on up-skilling existing staff and enhancing their career path and choice, by empowering Koori staff to either seek promotion internally or externally to MDAS.
“Our first priority is always to recruit the right people to the right job, but we also have a responsibility to create opportunities that help break down barriers for Aboriginal people entering the workforce, so we are proactive in our recruitment policies,” Mr Kirby said.
“We are prepared to invest in Koori people who have the right skills, interests and abilities for roles within the organisation, by providing the right opportunities for them to access the training and skills development for them to continue their career aspirations.
“One of the initiatives we are developing that will make a real difference to staff members who are wanting to progress is the setting up of a study centre at MDAS – so staff have access to a quiet area that is set aside only for study purposes.”
Mr Kirby said progress would take time, but the initiatives being rolled out were making a difference.
“I’m really proud of some terrific young people we have coming through MDAS.  One of our trainees, Indi Clarke, is aiming to become an accountant and James Peterson his sights on becoming a nurse,” Mr Kirby said.
“They are getting great workplace experience with MDAS, but as an organisation we are also helping them find and access opportunities for further training so they can get where they want to go in their careers,” he said.
“We currently have three staff, Derek Jones, Kirsty Hampton and Carl Kirby, who are training to be Aboriginal Health Workers, and we have recently appointed five Koori reception staff across our locations.
“Sometimes all people need is a start and an opportunity.  My own first job was as a trainee foster care worker at a local Koori organisation.
“That gave me the confidence and skills to kick start my career and I eventually followed on to graduate from law at university – that has not only benefited me, but my family and the community.”
Mr Kirby said MDAS also supported several scholarships and sponsorships for young people to support their studies.
“All of our initiatives are making a difference to these individuals and to our organisation – but they also mean there are benefits to the wider community by providing an opportunity to employ local Koori people and up skilling them to kick start their career aspirations and dreams.”
Ms Fankhauser said a traineeships program had been implemented within the organisation and Aboriginal members were now included on each job recruitment panel at MDAS.  She said initiatives such as a work experience program were being developed for implementation in mid 2014.
“We think there’s a good opportunity to work more closely on some of the points at which young people, in particular, can become disengaged from school or the work – those transitional phases in life,” she said.
“So improving linkages between high school, TAFE and university and into the workforce are important in showing people a pathway into a workplace.”