Untapped Human Capital in Australia

It is heartening to read an employment success story, especially when it concerns the indigenous community.

As the country battles chronic skills shortage, employers and the government resorted to the age old practice of looking overseas. Yet, a large undeveloped and untapped human capital resides in our own backyard.

It is good to see a partnership between organisations like Aboriginal Employment Strategy (AES) and progressive employers to harness the potential of indigenous communities in Australia. Explaining the immense benefits and potential of such partnership, CEO of AES, Danny Lester, said:

“The strength of our partnerships, particularly those with financial institutions and local government, is fuelling much of this growth, and has resulted in the expansion of our own business. This service will provide a home grown solution to Australia’s skills shortage.”

When success stories like this comes around it’s good for the Aboriginal community, good for corporate Australia, good for the economy and ultimately good for the country as a whole. It’s a win win scenario all around. Of course, the numbers of employed Aborigines in the private sector can vastly improve, and success stories like this are a step in the right direction.

Kudos to companies like ANZ, Commonwealth Bank, NAB and Westpac for setting the trend. It is a surprise that more companies are not taking notice, given the overall benefits and the support offered by the government.

The skills shortage compels organisations to be a lot more creative in their search for talent.  And it will increasingly mean tapping the immense potential offered by the first Australians.

Other links

• Aboriginal Employment Strategy
• Indigenous Employment Program
• Business urged to help plight of Indigenous people
• Country Energy’s Indigenous employment program