In the lead up to NAIDOC week 2016 one of Australia's 4 big banks celebrated100 years' worth of secondment time in Indigenous organisations.
Westpac Group announced that over the last 16 years the time shared by its employees on secondment in Indigenous community organisations through the Jawun Indigenous Corporate Partnerships program has surpassed the equivalent of 100 years. Jawun is an organisation which boasts Indigenous elder Noel Pearson as one of its patrons was set up to facilitate partnerships between corporate, government and Indigenous Australia.
Head of Group Sustainability and Community at Westpac Siobhan Toohill says over 750 Westpac employees have been seconded in Indigenous organisations for periods of 6 to12 weeks.
While in secondment, Westpac employees and executives helped respective Indigenous organisations grow their capabilities at no cost while enhancing their own leadership skills at the same time.
This secondment program stems from Westpac' Reconciliation Action Plan. An initiative whose objective is to bridge the gap between Indigenous and Torres Strait Island Communities with other Australians.