Building Capability
Indigenous Employment
The Northern Territory Public Sector (NTPS) strives to have a workforce which more closely represents the community it serves. With this in mind one such community group that can play a stronger role in the NTPS, both through harnessing the potential of current employees and increasing the representation in the workforce is Indigenous Australians.
Indigenous Australians represent approximately 30% of the Territory’s population and the employment of Indigenous Australians in the NTPS workforce continues to increase gradually to 8.1% (June 2011).
A public sector which has a healthy representation of Indigenous Australians is not only good for business, it is in a greater position to better serve the community through culturally appropriate programs, policy development and service delivery strategies.
Not only will an increase in the representation of Indigenous Australians improve the way the NTPS deliver its services, the opportunities for employment is significant given it is one of the largest employers in the Territory.
A central theme that underpins the commitment to improving Indigenous Australian employment through opportunities in the NTPS is
"being employed leads to improved wealth and asset creation for Indigenous families and communities, which in turn has a positive influence on health and the education of children. It also enhances self-esteem, increases opportunities for self-development, influences interaction at the family and community levels and reduces social alienation."
(Council of Australian Governments meeting, Canberra, 29 November 2008, 'Communiqué').
The World Health Organisation details a number of social determinants of health and one of the significant determinants is employment, specifically fair employment and decent work.
Employment and working conditions have powerful effects on health equity. When these are good, they can provide financial security, social status, personal development, social relations and self-esteem, and protection from physical and psychosocial illness. The Commission calls for:
- full and fair employment and decent work, to be a central goal of national and international social and economic policy-making;
- economic and social policies that ensure secure work for men and women with a living wage that takes into account the real and current cost of healthy living;
- all workers to be protected through international core labour standards and policies; and
- improved working conditions for all workers.
Strategy
In 2010, OCPE implemented the Indigenous Employment and Career Development Strategy 2010-2012. The strategy outlines the Indigenous Employment direction for the NTPS.
The strategy has four key focus areas to guide targeted attention, and identifies priority actions against each focus area. The key focus areas are:
- Workplace environment
- Attraction
- Retention
- Communication.
The principles and outcomes of the strategy are embedded in other NTPS and national strategies and agreements that deliver Indigenous key priority areas, namely:
- Working Future
- Indigenous Economic Development Strategy 2009–2012
- National Partnership Agreement on Remote Service Delivery
- National Partnership Agreement on Closing the Gap on Indigenous Health Outcomes
- Jobs NT 2010-2012
Purpose
The purpose of the Indigenous Employment and Career Development Strategy 2010-2012 is to improve the NTPS's attraction and retention of Indigenous employees through leadership, effective recruitment, career development and the engendering of cultural respect. A concerted effort not only to attract Indigenous employees but retain and grow Indigenous employees is critical to the success of the strategy.