INDIGENOUS JOBS MATTER: THE EMPLOYMENT GAP IN AUSTRALIA
Think back to your first paycheque and the dream of doing what you love, these are rites of passage not only for one’s career, but also a key part of the ‘Australian Dream’.
As Australian workers subscribe to job websites due the impacts of COVID-19, there are fears some Indigenous workers who have lost their jobs and now face reduced wage subsidy payments could be at a greater risk of being left behind.
In over 10 years, the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous employment rates have hardly changed. The employment gap is one of the targets addressed in the ‘closing the gap’ initiative, which aimed to halve the gap in employment rates.
Olivia Adams is a Dance Student at Queensland University of Technology (QUT), she is Indigenous on her mother’s side, where her family bloodline comes from the Wuli Wuli people.
In a truly 21st century discovery, Ms Adams’ family discovered their Indigenous ancestry via family history research.
She went to a “middle-class” high school and was the only person in her grade who identified as Indigenous.
Like many students, Ms Adams faces the prospect of seeking employment in a post-COVID-19 world. She hopes to work with an Indigenous dance company.
In a pre-pandemic world, many Indigenous people face fewer employment opportunities, with 49 per cent of Indigenous Australians employed as opposed to 75 per cent of non-Indigenous Australians.
When told these statistics Ms Adams took a moment to respond, Ms Adams said only one word “Wow.”
“It’s horrible to see such a clear gap, that’s what is, it’s a gap,” said Ms Adams.
The impact of this gap plays a role in poorer mental health outcomes for some Indigenous Australians.
Mibbinbah Spirit Healing is an organisation which seeks to improve the mental health outcomes of Indigenous men and communities. CEO Jack Bulman is a Muthi Muthi man, he said employment is critical to health outcomes.
“If you haven’t got employment, if you haven’t got the resource to provide for your family it’s the same for everyone, we start to worry, we start to self-medicate,” said Mr Bulman.
Mr Bulman often posts to Indigenous Facebook groups where he shares his live chat with Charlie Jia called ‘JB & CJ Checking In’ to provide positive affirmation to those struggling due to COVID-19. Mr Bulman said he was personally struggling not being in communities doing the work he loves.
Wearing his organisation’s polo shirt and sunglasses resting on his head Mr Bulman discussed his experiences of providing a safe space for Indigenous communities as his rooster cawed periodically in the backyard of his Gold Coast home.
The common factors Mr Bulman sees are “identity and sense of belonging, and then relationships and probably domestic and family violence as another big one.”
Barry Ryan an Indigenous Careers Counsellor with QUT said there can be a cultural difference and family responsibilities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities. This could mean some community members may not want to relocate from their community for job opportunities.
Remote and regional communities are not the only reason the Indigenous community is affected by lower employment rates.
Mr Ryan said instilling aspiration is also key to promote employment opportunities which can help counter racism, disadvantage and unemployment.
“If they don’t put themselves out there, they protect their heart and they can’t be damaged,” said Mr Ryan.
Mr Ryan said cultural capital was missing in some Indigenous families he works with who in some cases are fifth generation unemployed.
The expectations from working is not experienced in these households. Higher education could help forge a pathway to employment for Indigenous people.
“Education is a great equalizer, again, if they get the education then they get a voice and with the voice comes power,” said Mr Ryan.
University of Sydney Associate Professor, in employment relations, Chris F Wright said the gap is “considerably smaller” between highly educated Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.
The National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA), a government owned organisation which aims to assist and promote Indigenous employment has seen an estimated funding increase on last year.
Dr Francis Markham is a research fellow at the centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research at the Australian National University.
This year’s budget was all about jobs, “for Indigenous Australians, there were no specific Indigenous employment measures new in the budget,” said Mr Markham.
Although, Mr Markham said the $46.5 million funding to community-controlled organisations and Indigenous Ranger funding in the Murray-Darling Basin will likely generate some jobs.
A breakdown of the 2020 budget funding to the National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA) which only included two programs which experts said could increase Indigenous employment.
The Federal Government also announced the full reintroduction of the Community Development Program (CDP), which has been described as a work for the dole program, the program replaced the Community Development Employment Projects (CDEP) which was disbanded in 2014.
Previously Indigenous workers employed under CDEP were counted as employed in national statistics, Mr Markham said the program had created 35,000 jobs.
“CDEP can be good to get different programs up a community may want,” said Mr Ryan.
Although, Mr Ryan said the participation needs to be authentic and ensure workers training can keep them competitive in the market.
“CDEP has had some great flow-on benefits, but it’s also left people parked,” said Mr Ryan. This could, according to Mr Ryan, add extra hoops to jump through to receive payments rather than give people skills for an employment pathway they wish to pursue.
“The people, our people, are sick of being trained up, as our people say we are the most trained up people,” said Mr Bulman.
Mr Bulman said at the end of training there are often no opportunities for employment.
Mr Ryan helps facilitate career choice, he said he once assisted an aspiring nursing student who had previously been in a psychiatric unit and wanted to be “good nurse”, he asked further and found out they wanted to stop people getting into this scenario. This student is now studying social work and is “doing really well and getting good results”.
Minister for Indigenous Australians Ken Wyatt was the first Indigenous Member of the House of Representatives. Mr Wyatt traces Noongar and Wongi descent on his mother’s side and his Father was from the Yamatji people.
Mr Wyatt said he wants CDP to be a program which teaches remote Indigenous people skills which jobseekers can they have acquired. He also said public service and procurement requirements to government contracts are key to ensuring Indigenous Australians are employed.
“CDP has had, I think it’s fair to say very limited employment outcomes,” said Mr Markham.
Mr Markham also said the ‘1000 jobs’ package which subsidises wages for employers who hire former CDP participants has only had 10 per cent of budgeted positions filled by March this year.
Australian School of Entrepreneurship (ASE) CEO Taj Pabari knows how to start a business. He started a business when he was 10-years-old; and has since featured on 60 Minutes Australia and in 2017 he was awarded as Queensland’s Young Australian of the Year.
ASE seeks to reduce youth unemployment by giving young people the skills to start their own businesses.
Mr Pabari said young people have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 and the impacts have been felt even more in the regions, he estimates a real youth unemployment rate of 30 per cent.
“Indigenous young people will be towards the back (of the line),” said Mr Pabari.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNBtNO1tRBs
ASE provides workshops to Queensland Schools to encourage local solutions to local issues all solved by some of the community’s youngest citizens.
Starting a ‘micro-business’ is an alternative which ASE is providing for young jobseekers, encouraging young people to business like gardening and car washing services, presenting self-employment as a potential solution.
One business idea was a car wash, run by a group of Indigenous boys which Mr Pabari said was able to earn the group $850 from four hours of washing cars. These businesses were all started by identifying community issues which could be filled by new business ventures.
“Indigenous businesses are a good thing in their own right and they also have the benefit of being much more likely to employ Indigenous employees,” said Mr Markham who also said they are more likely remain small.
Then there is the perennial question of discrimination.
Mr Bulman smiled as he answered “definitely” to the question of if discrimination plays a part in Australia “racism plays a really big part of the mental wellbeing of our people.”
Discrimination which has even led to some keeping their Indigenous background hidden.
QUT Student Alicia Brown currently studies Justice and Human Services, her family traces decent from the Bundjalung people on her Father’s side.
“I am what you call white-passing,” said Ms Brown, which means “the colour of my skin doesn’t impede my ability to do anything.”
Talking about the importance of her Indigenous identity Ms Brown’s hands were resting underneath her chin with nails painted in the colours of Black, Yellow and Red.
Ms Brown’s family did not want to acknowledge their “Aboriginality,” but her heritage is important “I love being Aboriginal and I am so grateful to be part of such an amazing culture.”
“Dad didn’t want us to acknowledge our Aboriginality because of the racism he faced as a kid and growing up he didn’t want us to live in a world where our Aboriginality would be a downfall for our lives,” said Ms Brown.
Mr Wyatt told a story he once heard, an Indigenous girl who worked at a fast food chain. The young woman caught two buses to get to her work where she worked behind the counter. For a week and a half nobody went to place their order with her. She was encouraged to continue working until one day a line began to form for her till when the restaurant was busy.
But the question still remains, what can we do to close a gap which impacts the wellbeing of first nation people?
“Government policies would also help, but just generally attitudes of Australians (non-Indigenous Australians) towards Indigenous Australians…would be the biggest help,” said Ms Adams.