Two Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander services, the Aboriginal Employment Strategy (AES) and Awabakal Ltd, have formalised an ongoing partnership to improve employment and health outcomes for Indigenous people in the Hunter and Central Coast region.
Awabakal is one of the largest Aboriginal organisations in the Newcastle region. They have comprehensive primary health care services including aged care, social and emotional wellbeing; preschool as well as dentistry.
The Aboriginal Emplyment Strategy (AES), on the other hand, is all things workforce development, specialising in recruitment and training.
The two organisations have just signed a partnership to join forces.
The outcome of their partnership will result in the development of specific recruitment and training opportunities in the health sector for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and closer communication between the two organisations to improve their services, and the support and mentoring for Awabakal staff.
Leroy Wilkinson, Business Development Operations Manager at AES Newcastle Hunter and Central Coast region, says that through this partnership "AES will make sure that Awabakal is getting the right people for the right jobs."
Recruiting and retaining competent staff
AES will also look at training opportunities and forward plan for workforce development, succession and new opportunities in the health sector.
In the last few years Awabakal had been experiencing some challenges like recruiting the right people with a variety of skill sets, training new recruits to get them up to speed and retaining them.
According to Raylene Gordon, CEO of Awabakal, these challenges were exacerbated by the new funding model in the health sector. A funding model that’s more output driven.
She says that the recently signed partnership with the Aboriginal Employment Service will help Awabakal address these challenges and better serve the community.