4 January 2021

Empowering local Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people by increasing employment opportunities

Glenn Many, of Many Fabrication & Engineering, believes all local businesses have a role to play in addressing the challenges Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people face, and shares Whitehaven’s commitment to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander employment.

Glenn recently led the fabrication, installation and componentry for the Tarrawonga open-cut coal mine upgrade, and is one of nine Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander suppliers Whitehaven Coal worked with in FY20.

“Improving the employment prospects of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people in our region can’t just be the responsibility of one business or one sector – it must be a collaborative effort from all local businesses,” he says.

“The team at Whitehaven understands this and sets the example for local businesses big and small by setting Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander employment targets for their own business, whilst also working directly with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander owned businesses.”

“We’ve got about 36 employees and six apprentices currently working for us, with roughly 20% of these men and women identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.

“But my goal isn’t just to get people into jobs – I want to help train my team and expose them to different parts of the business. This way, they’re learning new skills throughout their careers and are prepared to run their own business, if that’s what they want to do down the track.”

Glenn’s approach to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander employment is strongly influenced by his decade-long relationship with Jason Smith, the Executive Director of Aboriginal Employment Strategy, a national Aboriginal recruitment and group training company that empowers Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people through brokering employment opportunities and supporting candidates to have successful careers through mentoring, coaching, training and specialist support.

“Mentoring Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander business owners through their career is an important part of my job in the region, and Glenn’s journey is what so many young Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander boys and girls should aspire to,” Jason says.

“Both Glenn and I have a strong relationship with Whitehaven built over many years. This partnership has delivered high-quality job opportunities to Aboriginal people, helping to build their economic independence and self-determination.”

One of Whitehaven’s core focuses since it launched its inaugural Reconciliation Action Plan in 2015 has been increasing the proportion of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander employees. In FY20, around 20% of the workforce at Maules Creek identifies as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, with 9% of the total 2500- strong workforce identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.

Whitehaven Managing Director and CEO, Paul Flynn, says: “A key commitment for our business and our Reconciliation Action Plans is to support Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander economic empowerment by employing and training local Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people.

“While we have always recognised that our partnerships with local Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people must be holistic, we are proud to have significantly exceeded our ambitious goal of having 10% of roles at Maules Creek filled by Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people, reflecting the proportion of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people in our broader community.

“Since then we’ve been looking at how we can diversify roles and job opportunities, and support more Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander team members’ transition into management roles, and of course we’ve made a concerted effort to partner with local Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander suppliers.”

Whitehaven will work with Aboriginal Employment Strategy to recruit Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander candidates for both the construction and operational jobs at the Vickery Extension Project, which will also have a 10% Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander employment target.

Pictured: Whitehaven Coal Aboriginal Community Relations Officer Hollie Sampson, Glenn Many of Many Fabrications, and Jason Smith of Aboriginal Employment Strategy.

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