Mentored Aboriginal Training and Employment Scheme |
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Dan-joo Dabacaan – DEC’s Mentored Aboriginal Training and Employment Scheme‘Dan-joo Dabacaan’—meaning ‘together, steady, steady’—describes the department's approach to ensuring that Indigenous people are strongly represented, and involved, in conservation and land management. The department recognises the unique role and expertise that Aboriginal people can have both as ‘traditional owners’ with a cultural responsibility to care for country, and as managers of conservation lands and waters for the State. To achieve a just and equitable Aboriginal employment outcome on conservation lands and waters, the then Department of Conservation and Land Management (CALM) initiated the Mentored Aboriginal Training and Employment Scheme (MATES). This is a multi-faceted employment and training program in conjunction with non-government training providers and land management organizations. This bold approach has seen the department embark on a 10-year plan to ensure Aboriginal people make up 10 to 15 per cent of its full time workforce. The Federal Department of Employment and Workforce Relations has welcomed the MATES program and committed $1.2 million over five years to the initiative. The MATES program was the overall winner of the Premier’s Award for Excellence in Public Sector Management for 2003 as well as the Leadership in Equity and Diversity category. Premier Geoff Gallop said that MATES was a world-class example of true leadership in cultural change. “MATES is a role model to the rest of the public sector and makes a significant contribution to social, environmental and economic outcomes,” he said. The department's entry in the Leadership in Equity and Diversity category is available for downloading and viewing. |
