Closing the Gap through apprenticeships

We can all play a role in promoting employment opportunities for Indigenous Australians, especially through apprenticeships. Not only does it makes a real difference in the community, but it makes good business sense. By promoting Indigneous apprenticeships, your business benefits by being able to:

• Access to a broader pool of job seekers
• Developing a reputation for the delivery of quality services to Indigenous Australians
• Improving overall organisational performance by building the skills and understanding of all staff that are providing services to Indigenous customers.

The Apprenticeship Community is working in partnership with Indigenous communities throughout Western Australia and can provide assistance to recruit Indigenous apprenticeships. We can assist by:

• Collaborating to recruit Indigenous Australian Apprentices – ensuring that the system and its benefits are explained to parents and other influential community leaders.
• Helping you and your staff to support Indigenous Australian Apprentices including support in adjusting to any cross-cultural issues that might threaten the continuation of the training, provide advice to the range of financial and other support that is available, and ensuring the training organization has an understanding of the needs of Indigenous learners which may be important to achieving a successful outcome.
• Retaining Indigenous Australian Apprentices through mentoring – mentoring by staff experienced in working with Indigenous trainees, by community role models and trainers significantly improves outcomes for Indigenous Australian Apprentices. A mentor may be able to work with the trainee and employer to balance cultural and workplace needs.