News

MDAS Workforce Report released

Mon, 03 Aug 2015 05:18:00

Mallee District Aboriginal Services is continuing to achieve major milestones in strengthening its workforce, with the release of a key report on its workforce development.

The report shows more than 100 Koori staff are now employed across the organisation’s four offices and that MDAS’s employment of Aboriginal people has risen by 75% since 2012.
The report shows that at June 30 the Mallee’s major Koori organisation had 199 staff in Mildura, Swan Hill, Kerang and Robinvale and that recruitment for its new Robinvale Family Services operation had brought the number of staff of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander background to 105, or 52.8% of employees.
“These are great milestones and achievements for us as we keep building the strength of MDAS and growing the capacity of our workforce and our community,” said MDAS CEO Rudolph Kirby.
It’s just one of the good news stories that comes from the first MDAS Workforce Analysis, detailing the results and achievements of the first phase in the development of the organisation’s human resources.
Mr Kirby said since its inception, Mallee District Aboriginal Services had committed itself to growing and developing its Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff. 
“We need, and now have, Aboriginal people employed at every level right across the organisation, in Mildura, Swan Hill, Kerang and Robinvale.  Our Indigenous staff are in a wide range of roles, and at all levels - from trainees to the most senior executive positions,” he said.
“At team leader and manager level, 40% of our staff are Indigenous, which is a strong endorsement of the increased effort we are putting in to training and staff development.
“Meaningful, constructive and rewarding employment is a fundamental key to success for individuals, organisations and communities.  Our focus has been on developing a proficient organisation providing quality services to community, while creating opportunities for advancement and development for our staff.”
Some of the key achievements detailed in the report, are:

• The MDAS Indigenous employee representation as a total of all employees has increased from 30.15% to 52.8% in the last three years
• The percentage of Indigenous new hires has increased by 23% over the past three years.   The percentage of Indigenous new hires has increased year on year since 2012-15 across all divisions
• The 2014-15 employee turnover rate is 20% (down from 28% in 2012-13)
“These are real milestones, because our focus is always on ensuring the best person is appointed to the job,” said MDAS ambassador Ada Peterson
“The people we recruit, whether they are Koori or non-Koori, are the best candidates. What is pleasing is that we are getting such positive results from the short-term and long-term measures that we have put in place to build the strength of our workforce.”
MDAS has appointed an additional five trainees to positions across the organisation from July 1.
“We are prepared to invest in Koori people who have the right skills, interests and abilities for roles within the organisation by providing opportunities for them to access training and skills development to help them build their career path,” Ms Peterson said.
The President Keith Hampton said the MDAS board had been focussed on ensuring the capacity of the organisation’s workforce was continually improving.
“We have put in place things like a MDAS study centre for staff to use, a mentoring program, traineeship program and work experience opportunities,” Mr Hampton said.
“As a board, and as the Mallee’s major employer of Aboriginal people, we know that developing our workforce is central to bringing about change and better opportunities for Aboriginal people across the region, not just at MDAS.
“I’m really proud of some terrific young people we have coming through MDAS who have great leadership potential both within the organisation and within the community.
“I think the wider community is already starting to take notice of some of these potential young leaders and it’s great to be playing a part in helping them develop their careers and lives.
“Our successes here are making a difference to these individuals and to MDAS – but they also mean there is a growing pool of talent where other mainstream businesses and organisations can find Koori people with the right skills to move into key roles,” Mr Hampton said.
“That’s where we need to go as a community, and I hope it’s a challenge we see more organisations taking up.”

The full report can be accessed from the Mallee District Aboriginal Services homepage