Indigenous common questions
- Who are Indigenous Australians?
- How many Indigenous people live in Victoria?
- What are the Bottom Line benefits of employing Indigenous Australians?
- What is the CDEP scheme?
- Is there a shortage of Indigenous Australian jobseekers?
- Why is there more unemployment among Indigenous Australians than non-Indigenous Australians?
- How do I alleviate some of the fears to do with common myths and stereotypes in regard to employment?
- If I employ an Indigenous person, are they likely to go "walkabout"?
- How do I manage integration of different cultures and acceptance from co-workers when employing Indigenous Australians?
- If I apply equal treatment in the recruiting and employment of all employees, is this a fair process to go by?
- What are some of the barriers Indigenous people face in gaining employment?
- How do I go about employing Indigenous Australians?
- Why would we use Diversity@work's services when we could do it ourselves?
- What is Cultural Awareness Training and who is it for?
- Who should attend this training?
- What is the Indigenous Award for Excellence and Leadership in Diversity?
- Who are Indigenous Australians?
- The best definition to go by is the Commonwealth Legal Definition: "An Aboriginal person is defined as a person who is a descendent of an Indigenous inhabitant of Australia, identifies as Aboriginal, and is recognised as Aboriginal by members of the community in which she or he lives."
- How many Indigenous people live in Victoria?
- Estimates vary, but 22,000 - 25,000 is considered a reasonable figure for Victoria. Indigenous Australians make up approximately 1.4% of Victoria's population.
- What are the Bottom Line benefits of embracing a diverse workforce by employing Indigenous Australians?
- Allowing your workforce to operate in a culturally diverse environment leads to higher levels of co-operation, learning, and introduces new perspectives which increase productivity. Indigenous employment demonstrates your company's commitment to workforce diversity legislation while ensuring your company is fulfilling a wider social responsibility in today's marketplace.
- Your organisation may also be eligible for financial assistance if it employs an Indigenous jobseeker. Diversity@work is able to provide information on financial incentives and free candidate sourcing to recruit Indigenous people.
- What is the CDEP scheme?
- About 30,000 Indigenous Australians work for the dole under ATSIC's Community Development Employment Project scheme (CDEP). CDEP provides employment and skill development programs for Indigenous Australians in more than 250 Indigenous communities.
- Is there a shortage of Indigenous Australian jobseekers?
- There is a perception that there is a shortage of Indigenous Australian jobseekers, despite the large percentage of unemployed Indigenous Australians. This not the case. Indigenous Australians are acutely aware of the employment problems they face, and as a result there is a high uptake of training courses by Indigenous people. Together with the CDEP scheme, this means there is a ready pool of experience, expertise and skills available for employers to tap into. Diversity@work has a database of over 1000 Indigenous Australians actively seeking employment.
- Why is there more unemployment among Indigenous Australians than non-Indigenous Australians?
- Indigenous Australians are approximately four times more likely to be unemployed than non-Indigenous Australians. Reasons for this include a lack of jobs in areas where Indigenous people live, a decline in rural industries that have traditionally employed Indigenous people, and lingering prejudice toward Indigenous Australians. Through increased awareness of Indigenous culture and greater avenues of employment opportunity, there can be an increase in Indigenous employment.
- How do I alleviate some of the fears to do with common myths and stereotypes in regard to employment?
- Much has been written to refute the myths and stereotypes of Indigenous Australians. There are many untruths that form the basis of some people's perceptions.
- For example, some people's perception of alcohol consumption among the Indigenous community is based on myth. Compared to non-Indigenous people, a large proportion of Indigenous Australians do not drink alcohol at all. 32% of Indigenous Australians do not drink alcohol, compared to 16% of the non-Indigenous population.
- The best way to increase an understanding is by gaining knowledge of Indigenous culture and the issues that are specific to Indigenous culture. Diversity@work explores these stereotypes in its Cultural Awareness Training program delivered by Ron Murray, a Wamba Wamba descendent, telling his own stories and uncovering many of the stereotypes that people may have and that may consequently effect recruitment processes.
- If I employ an Indigenous person, are they likely to go "walkabout"?
- Indigenous people have cultural protocols that need to be understood by non-Indigenous people in work situations. For example, the importance of funerals, the extended family, and the elder system in Koori culture may occasionally effect time away from work. It is expected that Indigenous people will attend a funeral, which may be interstate and with little notice. Best practice work life balance flexibility is easily able to accommodate these needs in most cases.
- How do I manage integration of different cultures and acceptance from co-workers when employing Indigenous Australians?
- Through educating co-workers, and increasing awareness about cultural differences and issues specific to Indigenous culture, a more inclusive culture is achieved.
- Cultural practices such as 'eyes down' to indicate respect, can create confusion in mainstream work environments. Diversity@work, through its innovative and practical training, provides tools to deal with issues and cultural misunderstandings that may arise in the workplace.
- Diveristy@work also delivers communication to staff about our other Indigenous employment programs and provides advice for internal publicity for companies.
- If I apply equal treatment in the recruiting and employment of all employees, is this a fair process to go by?
- Equal treatment of all employees may mean overlooking some people's individual or cultural differences. What is required is not only an "equality of opportunity", but equality of outcomes by doing things differently. This means gaining an understanding of Indigenous culture to recruit and retain Indigenous people effectively.
- The philosophy of diversity is that all people should be represented in the workplace. This means that all people should be given an opportunity to work.
- What are some of the barriers Indigenous people face in gaining employment?
- Barriers often stem from cultural differences, and a lack of knowledge of recruitment processes by Indigenous jobseekers. These can result in under-prepared work resumes, inappropriately addressing key selection criteria, or a lower level of interest from candidates if there are no other Indigenous Australians working in the company.
- Many of the barriers faced by Indigenous people, can be understood and overcome through useful tools for recruiting and retaining employees, which is part of the assistance Diversity@work provides.
- How do I go about employing Indigenous Australians?
- Diversity@work makes it easy to recruit appropriately skilled people, by helping organisations structure for success. This can be achieved by using our services to prepare your workplace and to source Indigenous candidates. Diversity@work assists in creating strategies and policies in line with your EEO policy and encourages an increased awareness of Indigenous culture through low-cost cultural awareness training and workplace development.
- Why would we use Diversity@work's services when we could do it ourselves?
- Diversity@work employs Indigenous people to provide support and advice for employers. Our staff has significant experience in marketing to, and recruiting from, the Indigenous Australian community. With a database of over 1000 Indigenous Australians actively seeking employment, we provide a cost free solution to recruitment. We also provide low-cost Cultural Awareness training and provide employers with skills to recruit and retain staff and provide an ongoing support base for employers.
- What is Cultural Awareness Training and who is it for?
- The focus of this innovative training day is to give participants the tools to recognise barriers Indigenous Australians face, both in recruitment processes and in retaining positions. By attending this training, organisations have reported measurable change by gaining appropriate tools for dealing with practical issues that may arise in the workplace.
- Who should attend this training?
- Anyone involved in employment, including recruiters, employment consultants, case managers, supervisors and co-workers.
- What is the Indigenous Award for Excellence and Leadership in Diversity?
- Diversity@work holds the annual Diversity@work Awards to acknowledge employers who are making a difference in workforce diversity and inclusion. The award is presented to employers hiring Indigenous Australians, and organisations that demonstrate their commitment to the inclusion of Indigenous people in employment. The presentation of the awards works to bring employers and the Indigenous community together and to encourage employers to further embrace workforce diversity.