Private-sector employment programs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples: comparative case studies

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples hold a unique position in Australian society, yet they are the most disadvantaged group in the community. This disadvantage is a direct result of the effects of European invasion and the systematic exclusion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples from many institutions of Australian society, such as social security, industrial relations and education systems. The unemployment rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is three times the national average, the highest unemployment rate of any group in the Australian labour market. Participation rates, skills, qualifications and income are all well below those of the non-Indigenous population. Since 1967, successive Commonwealth governments have attempted to correct these past policies by being proactive in promoting Indigenous education and employment, and by putting policies into place to redress the disadvantage that Indigenous peoples face. This thesis considers a range of employment issues that relate particularly to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ employment. While noting some of the employment strategies utilised by governments, the particular focus of the thesis is with the strategies pursued by private-sector organisations to manage diversity and to reduce labour market disadvantage for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. By exploring these strategies, the thesis aims to identify what works and what does not work. In so doing, the thesis presents an original contribution to knowledge as the first study to examine private-sector attempts to redress labour market disadvantage for these peoples. In addition, the research will provide the basis for formulating and evaluative framework for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employment.