Concurrent 14. Oral Presentation for: Creating culturally responsive and safe workplaces for the advancement of First Nations people
Byron Davis A *A Ventia, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
The APPEA Journal 63 - https://doi.org/10.1071/AJ22349
Published: 2 June 2023
Abstract
Presented on Wednesday 17 May: Session 14
Attempting to close the gap with respect to employment of First Nations people is, rightly, a key goal of most Australian businesses. Many companies are developing Reconciliation Action Plans (RAP) or other specific strategies and policies, aimed at engaging, supporting and increasing Indigenous employees within their workforce. However, First Nations people continue to be vastly under-represented in Australia’s workforce; and of those who do obtain work, a much smaller percentage remain in sustainable employment compared to their non-Indigenous colleagues. To achieve meaningful and sustainable change in employment – and therefore the lives – of First Nations people, we must create culturally responsive and safe workplaces. A dedicated Indigenous employment, development and support team at Ventia is doing just that – helping to create an organisational culture that is trauma informed, supports truth-telling conversations, values First Nations people’s unique ways of working, and provides individual and systemic interventions to break down barriers. Using a three-pronged approach – being trauma informed, prioritising personal welfare, and shifting the broader company’s mindset – the TRECCA team is achieving notable results and sustainable advancement for Ventia’s First Nations employees’ and their communities.
To access the Oral Presentation click the link on the right. To read the full paper click here
Keywords: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, closing the gap, culturally responsive and safe workplace, First Nations communities, Indigenous employment, opportunities, RAP, trauma informed.
Byron Davis is a Kalkaldoon Wannyi man living on Larrakia Country in the Northern Territory. As a teen, Byron gained first-hand experience with racism and discrimination and then he knew that he wanted to improve outcomes for fellow Indigenous Australians. With a Master’s Degree in Social Science, he has worked in Aboriginal Affairs for more than 30 years – the past 8 years as General Manager of Ventia’s Indigenous Employment team. Byron travels Australia helping build an inclusive organisation that supports and embraces the talents of First Nations employees. Significant career achievements include: Working as a Criminologist for NSW Police, changing education and training programmes, challenging unconscious bias, racial profiling and over-policing techniques; educating global audiences through academic lectures at Laurentian University in Ontario Canada, and on Indigenous human rights in Australia at the Asia Pacific Human Rights Commission in Thailand; and running his own registered Training Organisation for 10 years to upskill Indigenous Australians through upskilling business and industry competencies. |
