The document discusses initiatives by the NSW Department of Education and Communities to increase Aboriginal representation in the teacher workforce. It outlines programs such as the Join Our Mob campaign, Aboriginal teacher education scholarships, and strategies to promote teaching as a career choice to Aboriginal students and communities. The department aims to address underrepresentation and support Aboriginal teachers, with initiatives focused on attraction, recruitment, development and retention.

1. Join our Mob:
Developing the Career
Potential of Aboriginal
Students

2. • National $7.5m project to increase
number and professional capacity of
Indigenous teachers in Australian schools
• 5:1 teacher workforce under-
representation
• Indigenous-led
• Managed by UniSA
• www.matsiti.edu.au

3. 1. Teacher workforce research and
evidence base
2. Funding partnerships with school
jurisdictions, education faculties,
Indigenous units in schools and
universities, advocacy groups – 35 to date
3. Attraction and career aspirations strategy

5. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in Australian Schools

8. • www.matsiti.edu.au
• @matsiti
• #ourmobteach
• Facebook.com/ourmobteach
• info@matsiti.edu.au

9. Ensure
Aboriginal
employment is
part of day to
day business
Build a deep
understanding
of culture,
respect and
engagement
Strengthen
leadership and
management
capabilities of
Aboriginal
employees
Aboriginal Human Resources Development Plan
2012 – 2017

10. • Promotes teaching as a career of choice to
Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders
• Increasing the number of Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander teachers in NSW public schools
• Valuing, developing and retaining quality
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander teachers in
NSW public schools
• Increasing the number of identified School
Administrative Support Staff positions for
Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders.
Aboriginal Employment and Career Initiatives,
People and Careers

11. Key Achievements in Aboriginal Employment
and Career Initiatives
Established the “ Join Our Mob” recruitment strategy in 2006
with promotion of initiatives across NSW.
Established a dedicated team of officers responsible for
implementing employment and career development and
leadership programs for teachers and school administrative and
support staff.
Increasing the number of Aboriginal teachers and executive in
permanent positions across NSW public schools with 733
recruited since April 2004.
Increasing the number of teacher education scholarships
available each year exclusively for Aboriginal applicants
including HSC students, university students and career changers
from 20 in 2006 to 80 in 2010.

12. NSW Initiatives
• Join Our Mob promotional campaign including website,
Facebook page, Twitter and targeted resources
• Teacher Education Scholarship Program – 300 per annum with
220 for teacher training in subject shortfall areas and 80 for
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to train as primary
or secondary teachers
• Priority appointment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
teachers
• Connected Communities initiative in which 15 identified
schools have become community hubs to deliver a range of
services from birth through school to further training and
employment.

13. Who we are and
what we do

14. Pam Widders
Assistant Manager, Aboriginal Initiatives
Aboriginal Employment and Career Initiatives
People and Careers
• Promote the benefits of becoming a teacher with NSW DEC
including promoting Scholarship opportunities for
Aboriginal people
• Increase the permanent employment of Aboriginal
teachers within NSW DEC by identifying suitable vacancies
and negotiating with HR Advisors to fill this position with
an Aboriginal applicant and promoting innovation and
flexibility in the recruitment and selection of Aboriginal
people in the workforce
• Conduct regular on-campus university visits, in partnership
with Teach.NSW, Teacher Recruitment Programs Unit and
our team members, to address scholarship holders and
provide face-to-face information sessions

15. • Regularly review current employment list of
Aboriginal Teachers available for appointment
and develop plan
• Assist and support Aboriginal teachers with
staffing matters (eg. appointments, transfers,
etc.)
• Develop and strengthen positive relationships
and partnerships with Aboriginal communities
and groups including working in collaboration
with the NSW AECG at all levels to improve
policies & practices involving Aboriginal staff
within NSW DEC
Pam Widders
Assistant Manager, Aboriginal Initiatives
Aboriginal Employment and Career Initiatives
People and Careers

16. Darren Bell
Assistant Manager, Aboriginal Initiatives
Aboriginal Employment and Career Initiatives
People and Careers
• Develop, promote, review, coordinate and
evaluate innovative and flexible human resource
frameworks, policies and programs for the
employment, retention and career development of
Aboriginal staff in the Department’s workforce
• Liaise and negotiate with internal and external
stakeholders in the review, development and
support of human resource policies and programs
for Aboriginal staff
• Analyse trends and issues and undertake research
as a basis for the development of employment and
staffing policies for Aboriginal staff

17. • Report on the effectiveness of policies and
programs to support the employment and
retention of Aboriginal staff
• Participate on Departmental committees and
working parties relating to Aboriginal
employment
• Prepare accurate and strategic advice for
senior management on matters pertaining to
Aboriginal staff
Darren Bell
Assistant Manager, Aboriginal Initiatives
Aboriginal Employment and Career Initiatives
People and Careers

18. Promotional Strategies
Social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter have been
used to great success for our team.
We use the sites to promote events such as careers markets
and Yarn Ups, we also use the sites as a way to speak with our
communities and answer and ask questions and to promote
our team and local community events and individual projects
We promote our social media sites on all our promotional
resources and electronic and printed correspondence.

19. Promotional Strategies
We have purchased student artwork to use on
our resources and electronic material.
Visual branding is a vital tool in promoting and
building recognition of our team and what we
offer and stand for.
NSW high school student, Judy Shepard painted
this piece especially for our team.

20. Recruitment Strategies

21. Schools/community visits to
promote scholarships and
Join Our Mob
Aboriginal Employment and Career Initiatives Officers visit
communities across the state to promote and speak with students and
community members about joining our mob as teachers and working in
education
Feedback from our school/community visits…
“I would like to thank you very much for your visit to our school and
speaking to our students in regards to the programs with DEC and
Join Our Mob. The students shared with us, how great your visit was
and how several students are interested in becoming a teacher when
they leave school” AEO, Mount Austin High School
“Great to have someone come and talk to our Aboriginal students, we
have four students interested in teaching two Year 12 and two Year 11.
Your information and resources are fantastic; I would like to invite you
back to the Young Careers Expo” Careers Advisor, Young High School

22. Promoting scholarships and
Join Our Mob to tertiary providers
The team regularly visits, liaises and consults with
universities and various staff regarding:
• Identification of students
• Presentations to Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students
• Support that is available
• Join Our Mob, Scholarships, Promotions, Beyond the
Line, Beyond the Bridge initiatives
• Presentations
• Career pathways in DEC
• “TRACKS” Tertiary Preparation Program
• Careers Markets – Expos (sharing information)
• University Open Days
• Working with the Department and the support
provided

23. Career Expos
In 2014 following successful funding from MATSITI our
Galiyaay Careers Expos are occurring across NSW.
They include:
22 May Dubbo
18 June Western Sydney
20 June Tamworth
25 July Nowra
The aim of the expos are to give our students a better
understanding of the different types of careers
available to them and how to plan their education so
that they are better positioned to enter their chosen
fields of interest.

24. Networking with universities provides opportunities to
strengthen partnerships between schools, TAFE, local
communities and universities and is vital in promoting
teaching as a career choice at local levels.
It also provides me with the knowledge to encourage and
deliver support to other SAS staff in schools/offices/local
school areas to become teachers, whilst informing Career
Advisors and Principals about programs offered by
universities and the different pathways available.
It also provides the opportunity to develop and implement
initiatives for the effective transition of final year teacher
education students into their role as teachers.
Benefits of working in partnership
with tertiary providers

25. Recruitment Strategies
• Support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander teacher support staff and
other paraprofessionals to become teachers
• Support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander teachers in their early
years of service
• Develop and implement systems for gathering national data on
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s commencement and
completion of teacher education programs, and recruitment,
retention and promotion as teachers in schools
• Facilitate access to schooling for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
students in remote locations
• Promote teaching as a career of choice to Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander school students
• Develop and maintain teacher education programs and support
structures which foster successful completion by Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander people

26. Recruitment Strategies
• Promote teaching as a career of choice to Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander support staff in schools, liaison officers and community
members
• Explore a range of flexible tertiary entry pathways for Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander people to access teacher education programs
• Collaborate with universities’ teacher education schools to expand
teacher education programs which are delivered locally in remote
communities
• Enhance the capabilities of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
support staff in schools
• Establish research partnerships between universities and schools with
significant Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander enrolments
• Establish partnerships between industries, school communities and
post school education providers to enhance Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander students’ post school options

27. • Career Expos
• School presentations
• University presentations
• Community networking
• Social media
• Yarn Ups
Recruitment Strategies

28. The NSW Department of Education and Communities fully support these
two programs which promote education and employment to all
Aboriginal people and communities.
Our team works with schools, communities and Universities in the
promotion of employment opportunities available to Aboriginal people.
The Department offers up to 80 teacher education scholarships each
year to Aboriginal students completing their HSC.
We also encourage our community members to apply.
Scholarships are offered for talented students to train in secondary
maths, science and English and primary or secondary special education.
Scholars receive:
• an annual allowance of $5,000 throughout their studies
• a guaranteed job as a teacher when they graduate
• a $3,000 one-off grant when they begin their career
Teaching is Deadly and Join our Mob
Aboriginal Teacher Education
Scholarships

29. Our team promote the benefits of becoming a teacher and working for education using
promotional materials and resources, social media, attending career expos and personal face
to face interaction with our communities.
The Department also recognises the importance and value of having Aboriginal people
employed in schools in non-teaching roles ranging from General Assistants to School
Administration Managers and Aboriginal Education Officers.
Our team conducts Yarn Ups for Aboriginal people in schools and communities, encouraging
and providing support for members wanting to apply for non-teaching roles within schools.
Teaching is Deadly and Join our Mob
Aboriginal Teacher Education
Scholarships

30. Aboriginal Teacher Education Scholarships
Aboriginal Non-Aboriginal
Total 261 1171
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
Scholarship appointments since the commencement of the program as
at 12 May 2014
Aboriginal
Non-Aboriginal

31. Aboriginal Teacher Education Scholarships
Aboriginal scholarship holders currently studying
HSC candidate (school
or TAFE)
Current university student Career changer/ mature
age
TOTAL
ART 3 2 0 5
ENGLISH 13 4 6 23
HSIE 3 11 9 23
MATHS 1 0 0 1
MUSIC 2 2 0 4
PE 11 12 1 24
PRIMARY 64 70 48 182
SCIENCE 1 0 1 2
SPEC ED 0 0 1 1
TAS 1 1 0 2
TOTAL 99 102 66 267

32. Snapshot of Achievements –
Aboriginal Teachers
Increased representation of Aboriginal people
Current Govt. Bench mark 2.6%
DET 2005 DET 2007 DET 2009 DEC 2011 DEC 2012 DEC 2013
1.4% 1.9% 2.3% 2.8% 3.1% 3.2%
Increased number of Aboriginal teachers and executives - now 990

33. Summary of Aboriginal teaching staff as at 12 May 2014
Position Level Primary Secondary Total
Principal 13 5 18
Executive 60 31 91
Classroom teacher 608 273 881
Total 681 309 990
Snapshot of Achievements –
Aboriginal Teachers

34. Snapshot

35. Contact
details
Veronica Willmott
R/Director, People and Careers
Blacktown State Office
Phone: (02) 9836 9148
Email: veronica.willmott@det.nsw.edu.au
Pam Widders
Assistant Manager, Aboriginal Initiatives
Aboriginal Employment and Career
Initiatives
Phone: (02) 9836 9263
Email: pamela.j.widders@det.nsw.edu.au
Darren Bell
Assistant Manager, Aboriginal Initiatives
Aboriginal Employment and Career
Initiatives
Phone: 02 9836 9601
Email: darren.bell@det.nsw.edu.au
Annie Austin
HR Project Officer, Aboriginal Initiatives
Aboriginal Employment and Career
Initiatives
Phone: 02 9836 9187
Email: annette.austin@det.nsw.edu.au
Ismail Hayek
Support Officer, Aboriginal Initiatives
Staffing Services Blacktown State Office
Phone: 02 9836 9103
Email: ismail.hayek2@det.nsw.edu.au