developing indigenous skills in the pilbara

The old adage ‘knowledge is power’ rings true for an Indigenous pre-employment program which is engaging Aboriginal people with mining work in Western Australia.

Ms Linda Howard, Community Relations Manager, Macmahon and Doorn-Djil Yoordaning will discuss how the program is addressing social inclusion and labour shortage issues during her keynote presentation at the 19th National Vocational Education and Training Research Conference, No Frills.

Macmahon has traditionally operated in areas with a high Indigenous population and recognises that working in partnership with local Aboriginal communities is critical, not only to improve Indigenous employment but to give back to the communities and regions as well.

To encourage Indigenous participation in the workforce, Macmahon developed the Indigenous Mining Skills Program to teach participants the skills needed for employment in the mining industry.

Macmahon is a major mining and construction company which operates throughout Australia, in New Zealand, South East Asia and Africa. It is the parent company of Doorn-Djil Yoordaning Mining and Construction.

Ms Howard has been working as a Community Relations Manager for Macmahon since 2003. She is involved in community engagement, sustainability management and Indigenous employment and training for mining and construction projects in Western Australia.

Ms Linda Howard will deliver her keynote presentation, ‘Key success factors to Indigenous pre-employment training’ at 2.15pm (AWST) today at the Central Institute of Technology, East Perth campus.

For more information, please contact Jessica Justin at National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) on (08) 8230 8467.