Employment Plus – empowering our First Nations people to thrive
For The Salvation Army’s Employment Plus Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Engagement Team, creating employment opportunities for First Nations people is about more than opening the door to a job – it’s about ensuring the journey beyond that door is culturally welcoming, safe, supportive, and meaningful.
In her ongoing series on The Salvation Army’s Employment Plus agency, Salvos Online journalist LERISSE SMITH chatted with Glenn Westwood, National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Manager, about how a positive, inclusive and culturally welcoming environment is empowering Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to thrive and shape their own future.
Every employment journey has a first big, memorable step.
For many First Nations people, that journey towards employment and exciting new opportunities starts somewhere special: in a culturally welcoming environment – an often-transformative first step towards a new future.
“We ensure that we make our environments culturally welcoming for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as a starting point so that people feel comfortable and respected, coming in to share their journey,” reflects Glenn.
“But then we also have dedicated Aboriginal staff where First Nations people are more likely to share their barriers as our staff have a lived shared experience and understanding of the barriers that our participants face. So, it’s very important that we then also extend on that and provide options as far as culturally safe services, training and employment options.”
For about eight years, the Employment Plus Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Engagement Team has served clients in most Australian states. It currently holds contracts predominantly in the eastern states and territories, achieving strong outcomes and helping create pathways into employment for First Nations people.
The figures tell the story.
Currently, Employment Plus has a caseload of 3527 Indigenous clients. Over the past four years, they have placed 3280 First Nations people into employment.
At the forefront of the team’s work are cultural safety, understanding and respect: “We make sure that we walk alongside our people through their journey,” Glenn adds, particularly when navigating employment.
A major part of that journey is connection – and understanding the barriers that can stand between an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander person and a job opportunity.
“I think the greatest impact is actually having a dedicated Aboriginal team that understands the barriers,” he says.
“A lot of my team have got shared lived experience; they’ve come through barriers themselves or cultural issues and things like that. So, they have a really deep understanding of what many people who come through the door are experiencing and can build on that connection.”
The Employment Plus Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Engagement role involves recruitment, barrier management, mentoring and connecting with First Nations services, education, employment and, most importantly, Aboriginal communities and Elders.
It’s this combination of skills, lived experience and shared understanding that can make a significant difference.
Glenn also notes that connections with Aboriginal teams within larger companies can help create employment pathways.
“I can walk into the front door of Telstra, Australia Post or any other major company,” he says. “If they have an Aboriginal team, we already share a cultural and respectful mutual connection. This allows us to make immediate progress and build rapport, simply through our shared cultural understanding.”
For some people, that connection continues into the workplace through mentorship.
The National Manager explains, “We place Aboriginal people into non-Aboriginal roles, and that’s perfectly fine. However, a certain percentage will benefit greatly from having built-in cultural safety and mentors within the workplace.
“They tend to be more successful when supported by an Aboriginal mentor or part of an Aboriginal team. Most major companies now have these structures in place – Woolworths, Telstra, and others – including Aboriginal teams and mentorship programs – and they recognise the positive impact these initiatives have on retention.”
For First Nations people, barriers to employment can be diverse – and sometimes the first barrier is simply making that initial connection with a service.
“Our aim is to connect and to give them confidence,” Glenn says. “To let them know, yes, you can achieve this or, and we will walk with you. So, when you come in to us, we’re here for you.”
At times, cultural barriers can also be present because of cultural responsibilities for First Nations people.
As an Aboriginal person, they might have kinship or ceremonial responsibilities not only to their own family but also to their extended family, neighbours, or Elders in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.
“It’s very, very important that we adhere to these cultural protocols and responsibilities,” Glenn explains.
“So, if they’re not turning up to appointments with us, they get in trouble off their provider. If they don’t do what they’re supposed to do culturally, they’re in trouble with the Elders. So, they’re sort of caught walking two worlds. So, we work with them to try and negate both those issues to get a positive outcome.”
Transport can be particularly challenging for participants living in Aboriginal reserves that are some distance from employment opportunities.
For some, geography is a further significant barrier.
The National Manager says some participants are still living in reserves where people were forcibly removed and relocated out of town over the years.
“The way we negate that is we try to bring employment into the reserves,” he remarks. “To create things like landscaping-type stuff, caring for elders, mowing the lawns for Elders, things like that to try and negate that transport issue, but it’s the tip of the iceberg.”
But employment is only part of the picture.
Connection to the community is equally important. The team reaches out to local land councils and Aboriginal organisations, connecting with people in settings where they already feel comfortable.
“If we can connect and be seen in community, we know Uncle and we know Aunty, they feel safer, and we get a closer connection, and we get better value, and we get better outcomes for our people,” Glenn explains.
“So, in a nutshell, that’s what we do on a regional basis to try and support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, make them feel culturally welcome, welcoming and then really try and make their journey safe to a really positive outcome.”
That focus extends to other support services.
“We try to offer an Aboriginal service in every region, for all the barriers,” he says. “So, if it’s mental health, we want to find an Aboriginal mental health service or Aboriginal drug and alcohol.”
When it comes to employment itself, there isn’t one particular career path First Nations people are seeking.
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“It’s really a myriad of jobs. It just depends; I wouldn’t like to sort of define a particular occupation,” Glenn remarks.
“A lot of First Nations people around here love the outdoor work or working on Green teams and things with the land councils and really being on country because we have that real spiritual connection to the land and the waterways. Not anything specific, but there’s some great Indigenous employment opportunities around the country with everything from hospitality to construction. There are always really good programs for anyone to get into whatever they like.”
The team also works directly with employers, helping bridge the gap between First Nations jobseekers and potential employers. It runs an Indigenous employer event every three months in a region. Employers and participants come together, with food and different services incorporated into the events.
“It’s really good,” he says. “It’s breaking down misunderstandings.”
And for the National Manager, the success of the program comes down to something simple: care.
“The care factor is important because we want to be genuine and legitimate,” he explains.
“And if we’re saying we’re walking with you on your journey, we want to be true to our word ... I love when people come in with no confidence and don’t believe in their own ability and they go out and they do something beyond their wildest dreams. And that might be just gaining employment. So, when people achieve goals, I get a bit of a buzz out of that.”
READ MORE: When a job is more than income
