A South Coast construction employment strategy aiming for 15 per cent indigenous employment on all federal, state and local government infrastructure projects in the region has been launched.
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WorkforceXS Nowra and Habitat Personnel has joined together to form Hands Up - the South Coast Construction Indigenous Employment Strategy.
The strategy was officially launched on Friday afternoon at the Fleet Air Arm Museum with a number of government, local community members and business operators present.
Habitat Personnel managing director Nicole Moore said Hands Up brings together the strengths of a leading labour hire and a community controlled Indigenous employment specialist.
“Our model is unique in its ability to translate Indigenous participation targets into sustainable employment for community members,” she said.
“Moving trained employees from one sub-contractor to another through the life cycle of a construction project provides employment continuity for the individual, and the assurance of personnel for the contractor.
“This partnership is so important. We know from this year’s Closing The Gap report that the gap in employment outcomes has actually widened not narrowed since the Closing The Gap targets were first introduced.
“We know Aboriginal people continue to suffer unacceptably high levels of disadvantage in this area.
“Our unemployment rate is over three and a half times higher than non-Aboriginal Australians. Our labour force participation is 20 percentage points lower and our youth unemployment rate is over 30 per cent.
“It is a grim picture but one Habitat has been tackling for over 20 years now.”
Ms Moore said not to over simplify things but a solution came down to two things - job seekers and jobs.
“The first part of that is Habitat’s core business and the work we do as a community controlled organisation working with community job seekers and other community organisations,” she said.
“The second part, the jobs is more complicated and requires buy in from a lot more stakeholders.
“That’s why it is so good to see so many people here - good will from the parliamentary level through to contractors.
“The challenge is to harness that good will and turn it into employment opportunites.
“Workforce XS is a local business doing exactly that.”
Ms Moore said while it was Habitat and Worforce XS that were putting their names to this partnership, it was bigger than them.
“We are talking about tackling a complex problem, the solution is a collaboration between government and non-government, corporate and community.”
Workforce XS Nowra managing director Ross Thompson said the 15 per cent goal was “ambitious” but he was confident it was something that could be achieved.
Having been in the recruitment labour industry for six years Mr Thompson has seen the opportunities available and the demand needed.
“Employers want skilled reliable staff and professional reliable staff,” he said.
“The local indigenous community has a diverse and rich skill base that wasn’t being accessed.
“It made good business sense to support local business and community.
“Joining in a partnership with Habitat was a no brainer.
“We employ over 150 people in the local construction industry through our Shoalhaven office.
“This year, despite the wet weather of late, we will turn over $7.5 million that is being pumped back into the Shoalhaven economy.
“We had 80 odd construction workers at substantial projects at HMAS Albatross, we were one of the largest workforces on site. Of that 80, seven per cent were indigenous.
“We want to make that 15 per cent. It is not just about chasing the opportunities. It’s about making a difference and an investment in our future.
“With Habitat we are committed to that goal.”