APM hopes to empower indigenous clients, employees, and communities through EDI actions
APM endeavours to be an inclusive and culturally respectful business that works with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders to create positive and lasting employment opportunities.
We have an Indigenous Workforce Strategy and Reconciliation Action Plan that outlines our commitments and actions towards empowering Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients, supporting the success of our own indigenous workforce, and developing relationships with local communities and organisations.
Making connections
Working with indigenous organisations can be key to fostering a sense of community connection when it comes to employment opportunities and successful job placements.
Judi McConville, National Diversity and Inclusion Manager for APM Employment Services, says these relationships play an important role:
"Getting to know our local networks and working with indigenous organisations and training providers helps to build confidence in the services that APM can offer.
"The work doesn’t start when someone is hired. We put a lot of effort into making people feel comfortable applying for a role, understanding and addressing their cultural needs, and ensuring they feel confident to take on the role.”
A supportive environment
A welcoming and supportive environment is also important in the often-daunting experience of looking for a new job. APM’s consultants in areas with a high proportion of indigenous clients receive training so they better understand their clients’ cultural needs and can foster respectful relationships.
Local artists have also been commissioned to help make APM’s employment offices more engaging and welcoming for indigenous clients. We are honoured that an artist from the Wivenhoe community recently created an artwork that tells the story of the connection between APM and the local area.
Walking the walk
Strengthening the voice of APM’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees is a key element of our commitment to being a diverse and inclusive organisation.
Joel Duckham, a proud Noongar man, has been with APM for four years and recently moved into the Talent Acquisition team with a focus on attracting and retaining Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees.
"My role is to help build a culturally safe place for new and current employees to thrive, as well as support a diverse workforce that can respond to APM’s purpose to enable better lives for all of our clients and communities."
Indigenous employees at APM are supported to take the next step in their career through ongoing capability building, training opportunities for emerging leaders, and encouraging involvement in projects to build skills and knowledge of our industry.
All APM employees also complete Aboriginal & Torres Strait Cultural Awareness training when they join to better understand their client and peer perspectives.
Empowering our people
Our First Nations Employee Resource Group has become a community within a community and helps to drive initiatives and change within the business.
The group meets regularly to discuss APM policies and procedures, engagement initiatives, and ways of working that are respectful for indigenous peoples.
APM has created a genuine way to harness internal feedback to continuously improve our culture and ways of working. The group also has a direct line to APM’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Strategic Steering Group of senior leaders and members of the Executive. My experience is that they treat this input like gold. – Judi McConville
An ongoing commitment to reconciliation
Our vision for reconciliation is for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to live in this land with respect, equal opportunity and employment. Our Reconciliation Action Plan has been ongoing for over 10 years and sets out practical actions that drive our contribution to reconciliation both internally and in the community.
More recently, we joined Reconciliation Australia’s ‘Corporate Partnership’ program that will see us matched with finalist of the Indigenous Governance awards, and we will have the opportunity to work on a mutually beneficial project that facilitates stronger two-way partnerships between corporate Australia and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations.
We are excited about the opportunities and outcomes this partnership will create and how it will strengthen our commitment to being an inclusive and culturally respectful organisation for our people, our clients and the communities where we live and work.
