Redfern-Waterloo Authority - Employment & Enterprise

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REDFERN-WATERLOO EMPLOYMENT AND ENTERPRISE PLAN

Implementation Of The Plan – Update
Employment In The Construction Industry
Employment In The Hospitality Industry – Yaama Dhiyaan College
Aboriginal Businesses In The Construction Industry
Business Advice Services

The RWA’s Employment and Enterprise development strategy is a critical component of the overall Redfern-Waterloo Plan, along with the Human Services and the Built Environment Plans. The strategy has been developed to ensure that the employment opportunities being created in the area both current and future are available to the local communities of Redfern, Waterloo, Darlington and Eveleigh.

Since the finalisation of the Employment and Enterprise Plan in 2006, the RWA has succeeded in:

Committing $750,000 to the establishment of the Yaama Dhiyaan Training Centre and Hospitality College in Redfern.
Establishing the Les Tobler Construction Training Centre in Redfern where the Koori Job Ready Course is taught.
Working alongside with Alexandria Park Community School to develop work and vocation education opportunities.
Surveying local business to best determine the employment opportunities in the area.
Targeting the hospitality and construction industries, with employment strategies in development for additional industries.
Signing a 10 year Jobs Compact agreement with the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) to create real jobs and training for unemployed Aboriginal people.
Developing an Indigenous Employment Model that builds on the Jobs Compact agreement.
Ensuring Aboriginal businesses are invited to tender for works on Government-land by making such an invitation a condition for contractors working in the area.
Setting up two business advice services that operate out of the RWA office in Redfern.

The Employment and Enterprise Plan seeks to provide opportunities for wealth creation for the local community, through empowering those people that can work to create their own wealth through meaningful employment or enterprise development.

The plan draws on earlier work with the Authority’s partners from industry groups, group employment companies, job network providers, local schools and universities, employment services, vocational training providers and enterprise development agencies.

How the Plan was developed

In October 2005 the RWA developed an initial Discussion Paper on Employment and Enterprise. The paper was distributed to the RWA Board and the Employment and Enterprise Ministerial Advisory Committee. The Ministerial Advisory Committee is made up of community and government representatives with an expertise in employment. Following feedback from these groups, a draft Employment and Enterprise Plan was developed.

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PLAN - UPDATE

Improving Education And Training Opportunities For Local Residents

The RWA has delivered on its $750,000 commitment in establishing the Yaama Dhiyaan Training College at North Eveleigh.

The College is now a hive of activity with the Certificate II in Hospitality (Operations) course being taught at the Yaama Dhiyaan Hospitality Training & Function Centre upstairs; and the 8 week Koori Job Ready Construction course being taught at the Les Tobler Construction Training Centre on the ground floor.

The RWA also has a partnership with Alexandria Park Community School to develop projects that strengthen education outcomes as well as link with vocational education opportunities. These include providing work experience for students at Yaama Dhiyaan Hospitality Training and Function Centre; and various construction projects at the school that link with the training centre at North Eveleigh and the job opportunities being created in the area.

Local Business Needs Survey

As part of the RWA’s on-going commitment to improving business and employment opportunities in the Redfern-Waterloo area, the RWA conducted an Employment Opportunities survey of local businesses in late 2006/early 2007.

The major findings of the survey were:·

There is a decline in industrial land in the Redfern-Waterloo area, as the land is converted to residential.
A majority of the businesses on Regent and Redfern Streets are small, family-owned businesses and therefore have limited employment opportunities.
The southern part of the operational area has the majority of the employment opportunities. The major employment opportunities are in transport, logistics and warehousing.

Industry Based Employment Strategies

The first industries that the Redfern-Waterloo Authority is focussing on to create job opportunities for locals are the construction and hospitality industries. The RWA is also developing a strategy for transport and logistics, due to the outcomes of the business needs survey. At a later stage, the RWA will look at employment strategies for the following industries:

commercial cleaning;
information technology;
services;
cultural.

Employment in the Construction Industry

The RWA and the Construction Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) signed a 10 year Jobs Compact agreement in 2005 to work together with employers to create real jobs and training for unemployed Aboriginal people.

The deal requires all contracts for construction on State-owned land in Redfern-Waterloo to include tougher provision and support aimed at increasing on-site work and training opportunities for Aboriginal people.

The RWA has developed an Indigenous Employment Model for use in the construction industry that expands on the Jobs Compact with the CFMEU.

The model delivers a streamlined recruitment, training and employment path for head contractors, coordinating:

Recruitment;
Training;
Apprenticeships;
Group employment; and
Mentoring.

The RWA has developed partnerships with the agencies involved in delivering services to the employment model. The partners are:

TAFE NSW;
CFMEU;
New Apprenticeship Centre- My Gateway;
My Gateway Group Employment and Training;
Job Services Australia;
AES

The RWA has negotiated over 500 Aboriginal employment opportunities for Aboriginal people on the construction projects that have commenced since the RWA was set up.

These numbers will continue to increase as more projects come online at the Australian Technology Park, North Eveleigh and other sites within the RWA area.

The trades that these positions/apprenticeships/traineeships are in include:

Electrical;
Construction carpentry;
Plumbing;
Boiler making;
Scaffolding;
Painting;
Brick laying;
Fire sprinkler fitting;
Sheet metal works;
Labouring;
Landscaping; and
Forklift driving.

YAAMA DHIYAAN COLLEGE – EMPLOYMENT IN THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY

Yaama Dhiyaan is a Hospitality Training college and Function Centre that specialises in modern Australian cuisine using Indigenous produce and flavours. It is a unique cross-cultural educational experience that focuses on providing hospitality training with an emphasis on practical work experience in the Yaama Dhiyaan Function Centre.

Aboriginal elder and caterer Aunty Beryl Van-Oploo and exciting young Aboriginal chef Mathew Cribb have formed a partnership with RWA to set up a world-class cross-cultural training and employment program in Indigenous Australian cuisine.

This training is open to all unemployed people who want a career in the hospitality industry. The students are linked up with major hospitality employers towards the end of the training. It is located within the Redfern Waterloo Authority’s new North Eveleigh precinct at 255 Wilson Street Darlington.

Aboriginal Businesses in the Construction Industry

Part of the conditions for contractors on Government-owned land includes the contractor having to invite Aboriginal businesses in the construction industry to tender for works.

The following is a list of Indigenous owned and operated businesses in the construction industry in NSW. To view, click on the link below:

Aboriginal building companies (pdf ~77kb)

If you would like to register another Indigenous owned and operated construction business, please email the details of the business to redfernwaterloo@rwa.nsw.gov.au

BUSINESS ADVICE SERVICES

The RWA has set up two business advice services that operate from the RWA office in Redfern:

The Aboriginal Business Service assists any Aboriginal person who has an idea for a business and would like to know where to start, or who has an existing business and requires further assistance.
The Redfern-Waterloo Enterprise Service has been set up to assist any resident of Redfern, Waterloo, Eveleigh or Darlington who is interested in setting up a business.

Both of these services are FREE, ONE-ON-ONE & CONFIDENTIAL. You will meet with an experienced and qualified business professional that can help on a range of business issues including: