Successful Indigenous Pre-Employment Program to Expand

Employment pathways for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander job seekers across Kwinana, Peel and the upper South-West regions are to be boosted thanks to a partnership between the Waalitj Foundation and Alcoa Foundation.

Building on the Waalitj Foundation’s existing successful pre-employment program, Plan 2 Day 4 Tomorrow (P242), the program will focus on improving the employability of Indigenous job seekers through developing skills and work readiness.

The program, which is set to start on Monday 24 January, will be delivered by Indigenous employment mentors, who take a culturally appropriate approach to break down barriers to employment and provide individualised mentoring support.

There will also be support for job seekers to obtain a drivers’ licence. The announcement follows a similar partnership between the Waalitj and Alcoa Foundations to deliver support in building the capacity of existing and emerging Indigenous businesses across the same areas.

Alcoa Australia Human Resources and Employee Relations Director Matthew Gleeson said the company was proud to be further stepping up its support for these important elements of diversity and inclusion.

“Our Reconciliation Action Plan articulates our desire to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people through both procurement upskilling and opportunities along with training and employment,” Mr Gleeson said.

“By broadening our partnership with the Waalitj Foundation we hope to continue providing support for Indigenous businesses while also helping people secure employment across communities in the Kwinana, Peel and the upper South West regions, near where we operate.”

Following the previous delivery of P242 in the Kwinana region, the Waalitj Foundation is well positioned to return to the area plus expand into the Peel and upper South West areas.

“We are excited to be returning to the Kwinana region and to expand our reach, reconnecting with local employers, delivering our Fit 4 work pre-employment sessions and providing mentoring for Indigenous jobseekers,” Waalitj Foundation Director Troy Cook said.

“Building capacity in jobseekers means addressing the barriers to employment. One major barrier is gaining a driver’ s licence. As part of this program we will support people to get their license and other tickets or qualifications that may contribute to sustainable employment.”