2004 Winners

2004 Diversity@work Awards winners and champions

Employment and Inclusion of Mature Age Workers

ANZ Bank
Through the Age Diversity Strategy, ANZ has initiated a number of programs aimed at recruiting, retaining and supporting mature aged employees. This comprehensive approach includes the communication of all information regarding age diversity initiatives to employees and managers through workshops, internal publications, and the intranet.

Some further stand-out components of ANZ's program involve a career-extension program emphasising flexible work options, the ANZ alumni program keeping the door open to retired employees, financial literacy material and workshops to assist all employees with planning their financial future and an awareness raising competition amongst branches that encouraged employees to recognise and value the experience of co-workers.

According to the judges, a strength of this "well thought out" strategy has been the way that buy-in has been sought across the organisation, in particular amongst employees at all levels. An additional strength was the sound research base of this holistic strategy.

Employment and Inclusion of People with a Disability

Companies with under 100 staff

Carpatsea Pty Ltd NSW
Under the leadership of proprietor Sue Hughes, Carpatsea manages five Subway sandwich outlets on the Central Coast of New South Wales, with 21% of the total workforce comprising people with a disability. In a work environment demanding the highest standards of food hygiene, customer service and quality control, Carpatsea's employees have continually met and exceeded expectations.

The judges were extremely impressed with Carpatsea's pro-active hiring policy and the opportunity for career progression for people with a disability, as evidenced by the promotion of two employees with disabilities from kitchen-hands up to Store Managers. This, in addition to the low turnover rate of only 1% amongst staff with disabilities, has been achieved through flexibility and accommodation of employees' needs and comprehensive training for all staff.

Companies with 100-1000 staff

Moran Furniture (NSW/VIC)
Moran has long been aware of the benefits of employing people with a disability, with 15 of its 250 current staff identified as having a disability. These employees work in various aspects of the business, both in Victoria and NSW. With the company's support and encouragement, four of these employees have completed trade qualifications.

The judges recognized Moran's commitment to people with disabilities as evidenced by the opportunities provided for further training and development to employees with a disability.

Companies with over 1000 staff

Telstra Desktop Service Centres - Partnership Training Programme (WA and National)
The Partnership Training Programme began six years ago as a collaboration between CRS Australia and Telstra in Western Australia. Today, the programme has expanded to include additional locations in NSW, Victoria and the ACT. The Program comprises a 13-week work-based training opportunity for people with a disability at IT Helpdesks. It has resulted in ongoing employment for 70% of participants within Telstra, with a further 10-20% securing ongoing employment in other IT roles.

The judges noted that a strength of this programme is the way that participants' feedback has been taken into account as the programme has been refined and expanded across Australia. And they acknowledged the way that this model has been successfully replicated in other states.

Employment and Inclusion of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Australians

Companies with under 100 staff

Murray Mallee Training Company, Horn of Africa Community Network, and Victoria University of Technology
The Community Building Partnership is a collaboration between three organizations, the Murray Mallee Training Company, the Horn of Africa Community Network, and Victoria University of Technology.

The aim of the project is to relocate unemployed members of the Horn of Africa community living in the City of Maribynong and link them to a job and opportunity rich communities of the Murray Mallee region in Swan Hill for long-term settlement.

To date, over 40 participants in this programme have gained valuable work experience and 24 participants have been successfully placed into identified skill and labor shortage sectors. The success of this comprehensive and innovative program is evidenced by the program waiting list of 125 people from the Horn of Africa community who are considering relocation to Swan Hill.

The judges noted that the outstanding feature of this entry was its holistic approach to re-settlement; from the earliest stages, where prospective participants are offered information tours to Swan Hill, through to a comprehensive program to ensure smooth transition to life in the Murray Mallee region. This includes assistance with accommodation and managing language barriers as well as cross-cultural training for the Swan Hill community, emphasizing community building.

Furthermore, the commitment to continual research and evaluation will no doubt serve to benchmark best practice and provide a model which can be utilized in other areas of Australia.

Companies with over 1000 staff

Medibank Private
Medibank has initiated a number of programmes as part of an across the board effort at cultural change aimed at creating a workplace which draws upon the culturally and linguistically diverse talents of all its staff.

Initiatives include a Staff Translator List and linguistic allowance that rewards staff who use their skills in languages other than English to assist service delivery to clients. This programme works on two levels, both enriching the workplace and also allowing smoother communication with clients who might otherwise face barriers to access due to a lack of proficiency in English.

Judges were delighted by the comprehensive nature of Medibank's undertakings and the involvement of a number of people within senior management, which means the outlook for the programme's continued development is extremely positive. The judges were also impressed by the way in which appreciation of CALD is becoming an everyday part of the work environment at Medibank.

Employment and Inclusion of Indigenous Australians

Companies with 100-1000 staff

Bega Valley Shire Council
Bega Valley Shire Council has pioneered an outstanding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Council, Local Aboriginal Land Councils in Bega, Eden and Merrimans and the Shire's Native Title Holders. The MOU's primary aim is to strengthen relationships between the council and the local Indigenous community, and it also establishes a framework for future co-operation and reconciliation.

Part of the MOU is the Council's Aboriginal Employment Program. This Program has seen the Council consistently increase the number of Indigenous Australians on staff from two in the year 2000 to nine in 2004.

Cultural support has been pivotal to the Program's success, with meetings held between Elders, Council employees and new staff members in order to reinforce the community's backing for the initiative and to minimize the pressure of working in a bi-cultural context.

The judges were particularly impressed by the MOU, and encourage other councils to take Bega Valley as a model. Bega Valley was also commended for its commitment to long-term sustainability of this effort.

Companies with over 1000 staff

Western Australian Department of Conservation and Land Management - MATES program
MATES (Mentored Training and Employment Scheme) is a multi-faceted employment and training program run in conjunction with non-government training providers and land management organizations as part of the Department's ten-year Indigenous employment plan.

The Department provides continual monitoring and assessment to ensure adequate mentoring and hands-on conservation and land management opportunities are available to trainees. The program has resulted in the employment and training of up to twenty-eight Indigenous people since 2003.

The judges felt that the strength of the initiative lies in the way the program has aligned its departmental goals with those of local communities to ensure that Indigenous people are given training opportunities to take on roles in the department without having to move from their own communities.

Ford Australia - Employability for Life Programme
As a part of the Ford Indigenous Employment Strategy, the Employability For Life Programme was implemented to provide a pre-employment training programme targeted at previously unemployed Indigenous Australians within Ford Assembly Plants.

Two pre-employment training programmes have taken place so far, which have subsequently seen 24 participants gain employment with Ford. The retention rate ranks at 96% - evidence of Ford's focus on appropriate response to feedback. Many other participants have also benefited from the program through pursuing higher education or finding employment with other companies.

Ford's individualized responses and holistic approach to the wider issues affecting Indigenous employment, including the focus on gaining feedback from and the respect of the community gave their nomination the edge.

Individual champions

Gail Rodgers, Corporate Citizenship Manager, Ford Motor Company Australia
In her role as Corporate Citizenship Manager, Gail has been instrumental in the Employability for Life Programme at Ford, which won a 2004 Diversity@work Award for the Employment & Inclusion of Indigenous Australians. Gail developed and implemented this pre-employment training programme aimed specifically at previously unemployed Indigenous people using a holistic approach.

Gail ensured the success of this program from the very start by arranging extensive consultations between Ford's senior leadership team and local Indigenous communities. Gail strategically developed the programme to extend to broader cultural change within Ford through the organization of cross-cultural training days and information sessions for all workers. Gail has won the respect of all stakeholders through her hard work and dedication.

Judges noted the extensive forward planning and beautiful orchestration of the Employability for Life programme, evidence of Gail's attention to detail and commitment to follow through.

Sue Hughes, Managing Director, Carpatsea Pty Ltd
As managing director of Carpatsea, which won a 2004 Diversity@work Award for the Employment & Inclusion of People with a Disability, Sue oversees the operation of five Subway outlets in New South Wales.

Sue's initiative in championing the employment of people with a disability exemplifies that with training, understanding and flexibility, people with physical and/or intellectual disabilities are highly productive workers in the fast food industry.

Sue is fond of quoting Robert Kennedy, ‘never say never, say how!' This inclusive approach sets the same benchmarks for people with disabilities as it does for the rest of its staff.

Sue's use of feedback from all employees and flexibility in alterations to both the workplace environment and rosters particularly impressed the judges. In addition to this, many of Carpatsea's employees with disabilities have completed TAFE qualifications as a direct result of Sue's emphasis on the importance of providing a career development path.

The judges made special note of the way that Sue ‘walks the talk' of workplace diversity by putting her own business on the line for her beliefs, which has extended to Sue's pro-active promotion of the business case for diversity to others. Sue's approach has kindled enormous respect within the community.

Senior Constable Brett Prowse, Victoria Police
Brett's passion for increasing diversity in the Victorian Police force is exhibited through the way that he has driven change within the organization. He was instrumental in proposing, preparing and delivering the Multicultural Police Preparatory Program, organized in partnership with the Victoria Police and AMES.

Five, eight-week courses, have taken place since the programme's inception in 2002, with 75 students participating from a wide range of backgrounds. The course enables people from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse and Indigenous backgrounds to successfully negotiate police entry requirements. Brett recognized the need to extend the programme to include regional areas, the first of which was successfully delivered in Shepparton.

The judges were particularly impressed by Brett's passion and commitment to his role which has seen him extend far beyond what was required. Brett currently mentors over 20 recruits even after his direct work with the training programme has finished. For example, he helped design the first culturally appropriate uniform for a female muslim police recruit

Brett's consistent encouragement of cultural awareness within the Victoria Police is further solidified through his report entitled ‘Recruitment, Promotion and Retention of Diverse Groups', completed in April this year. The Victoria Police's Angela Taylor Scholarship allowed Brett to pursue his research in England and Canada.

As one of the individuals who nominated him put it, he is "helping to show the human face of the force, not just the blue uniform."