Leading recruitment diversity
FOR more than 20 years, the Australian mining industry has trusted the WorkPac Group with its contracted workforce needs.
Today, the company employs more than 10,000 workers across mine site operations and activities around the country.
Diversity and inclusion is at the core of WorkPac’s values system, and staff work closely with clients to grow representation of both female and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) people in the Australian mining sector.
Organisations like BHP have gender diversity targets of 50/50 by 2025. WorkPac is proud to assist organisations reach these goals.
WorkPac Regional Manager for Southern Australia, Chris Coffey, said with so many of the company’s 40-plus business centres based in regional and remote Australia, for example the Roxby Downs Business Centre in SA, there was a greater responsibility when it comes to providing employment, education and training opportunities for Indigenous Australians in the communities it operated in.
The company works closely with local language groups and Traditional Owners to ensure staff have a strong cultural awareness.
“One example of this is that the local Kokatha people’s connection with the land means, they have a preference to work in surface operations,” Roxby Downs Business Centre Manager Samantha Maywald said.
“Our recruiters here in Roxby Downs know and respect this, it simply means when we work with Kokatha people we find work in above ground roles.”
The company has a dedicated Indigenous recruitment team called JobTrail to cater for around 3pc of Australian’s who identify as ATSI.
JobTrail has created a successful framework that has been rolled out across multiple clients throughout Australia.
The framework supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait people, provides qualified mentors, address challenges with work conditions and cultural pressures.
National JobTrail Manager Julian Genn said that since the original launch of WorkPac’s Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) two years ago, the company has been able to achieve its initial recruitment and RAP goals, targeting relationships, respect, opportunities, and tracking and progress.
“Through numerous trainee programs that we have run across Australia with several major companies, we have been able to increase our Indigenous workforce to represent 7pc of our employees,” he said.
To find out more about how WorkPac can help your mine improve staff diversity and inclusion visit: www.workpacgroup.com.