Evaluating recruitment, training and retention strategies for the Indigenous workforce
Presented by Professor Nereda White, Dr. Chris Matthews and Michael Fung
Friday September 16, 2011 - State Library of Queensland
Conference Details
The development of Indigenous skills in response to workforce skills gaps exists as a critical priority for social and economic policy in Australia. As Indigenous policy programs seek to continually empower Indigenous Australians in light of major COAG Reforms, it is increasingly necessary that efforts made by government departments, industry, universities and independent organizations and peak bodies continue to align to common goals.
Despite the Australian Indigenous population being significantly younger overall than the non-Indigenous population (based on information collected during the 2006 census, the most detailed to date), workforce skills gaps continue to contribute to Indigenous rates of unemployment being viewed by the policy and research community as unacceptably high.
This Conference, part of our National Series, explored Indigenous Skills Development in the context of workforce opportunities, reconciliation plans and industry reflections. It also introduced case studies of projects that have potential to foster the development of Indigenous Skills to enable workforce participation. The Conference provided an in-depth critical analysis of applications, national case studies and strategies that sought to highlight the importance of this issue within social and economical indigenous policy.
Contributors
Professor Nereda White, Director CIER, Australian Catholic University
Dr. Chris Matthews, Coordinator of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research Network, Griffith University
Dr. Jack Frawley, Senior Research Fellow, Australian Catholic University
Michael Fung, Project and Development Manager, Matrix
Rod Camm, CEO, Skills Queensland
Margaret Browne, Director Indigenous VET Initiatives, DET
Mr. Asmi Wood, Indigenous Higher Education Advisory Council (IHEAC)
Alfreida Roberts, Manager of Indigenous Skills Centre, Skills360 Australia
Noel Gertz, Senior Community and Indigenous Liaison Officer, Kagara Ltd
Dr. Ruth Wallace, Director, Social Partnership in Learning Research Consortium, Charles Darwin University
