Goodstart Early Learning is one of just 43 Australian organisations, and the only early learning provider, included in the first comprehensive snapshot of Indigenous employment representation, processes and experiences released last week.
Goodstart’s CEO Julia Davison and Chelsea Croucher a First Nations educator from Goodstart, The Crescent Early Learning attended the launch of the new index along with organisations from banking, energy, transport, fast food and the logistics sectors, who collectively employ more than 700,000 people.
“I am very pleased that Goodstart has taken part in the first ever snapshot on Indigenous Employment, it is only by carefully measuring our results and learning from others that we can ensure we are an inclusive and culturally safe organisation for First Nations employees, and the children and families they support in our centres,” Julia said.
“Goodstart has a First Nations Employment Strategy plan and track the employment, training and retention of First Nations people right across our national network.
“We can only meet our targets if we measure and understand the experience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and work to remove barriers to their employment and retention.
“We are working to ensure our Indigenous employees come to work each day in a culturally safe workplace which supports them as they work to support children, families and their local communities.
“Being a part of the Indigenous Employment Index also provides us with the opportunity to learn from other organisations who are working to narrow the Indigenous employment gap and ensure that all of our First Nations employees have the opportunity to thrive.
“At Goodstart reconciliation is woven through everything we do to support the 6.7 per cent of children attending Goodstart centres who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torre Strait Islander. They are supported by increasing numbers of First Nations educators and teachers and interns but there’s more to do,” Ms Davison said.
Among the main findings from this research, the Indigenous Employment Index shows that:
- The average Indigenous employment rate across surveyed employers is 2.2 per cent compared to the general population share of 3.3 per cent
- Targets and accountability work in narrowing the Indigenous employment gap
- Companies that reported regularly on progress towards Indigenous employment parity had more than double the share of Indigenous employees than those that did not
- Measures of success for Indigenous employment outcomes extend beyond the number of people employed, and include retention, safety, progression, and partnerships
- Indigenous employees are almost entirely absent from senior management and executive leadership levels
- Over half of Indigenous employees surveyed report direct or indirect racism currently and throughout their careers
- Organisations that put in place a comprehensive, systemic suite of programs and policies achieve greater improvements in Indigenous employment outcomes.
The goal of the Indigenous Employment Index is to provide an evidence base for “what works” in creating Indigenous employment parity in a sustainable and meaningful way. It was developed by the Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre in partnership with the Minderoo Foundation’s Generation One initiative and Murawin Consulting.
You can read the full report here.