PRWIE MINISTER
I1 N' V ' mix 3 1
The attached speech will be delivered by Mr Basil Atkinson,
Chairman of the National Aboriginal Employment and Development
Committee to the NAEDC Seminar in Canberra on behalf of
the Prime Minister today.
EMBARGOED UNTIL 3.30 P. M.
PRiMIE MINISTER
I am pleased to participate in this seminar which
has been organised by the National Aboriginal Employment and
Development Committee to highlight the need for greater
numbers of Aborigines to he employed in Commonwealth
statutory authorities and departments.
My Government is committed to increasing the
numbers of Aboriginal people in Commonwea th (; Government
employment to a point at least equal to their representation
in the community a level generally believed to be between
1 and 2 per cent.
Numbers, however, are not in themselves enough.
Aboriginal people should be at a sufficiently
influential level to be able to play a significant part in
Aboriginal self-management.
Accordingly an Affirmiative Action strat-gy in
Commonwealth Government employment i s now being deveoloped.
We should be appalled at the continuLng high
unemployment rate amongst Aboriginal people this Is
estimated to be in excess of 50 per cent.
My Government is actively working to try and
alleviate the situation.
Aboriginal employment in the Australian Public
Service today is not as good as it should be, buL is
improving. At 1 Orc t c bor 108? 2 here-wor., 804 A!, or i q i n; l tn f* tI
in the APS repres( nting only 0.53 per cenL CLl -l-im1 e
staff. This is an increase of 13.4 per cent over the
previous year.
The figures from the survey of Aboriginal staff
conducted in October 1983 are not yet available but chere
are indications that the situation is continuing to change
for the better. Already this year 261 Aborigines have been placed
by the Public Service Board in permanent employment in the
APS. In addition there are currently 430 Aborigines who
I. v hr-eoi empnio ly l uindir lho' Tria inini for Ahor i( inal;
Program in APS.
In the next few months at least 200 Aboriginal
people are expected to receive jobs in the APS under the
Commonwealth Component of the Community Employment Program
CEP. If present recruitment trends continue the
proportion of Aboriginal staff in the APS, excluding those
in temporary training positions, is expected to approach
1 per cent by the end of 1984.
Although recruitment targets may easily be met
overall employment figures will not increase at the same
rate unless attention is paid to the induction and training
of new recruits to prevent high resignation rates.
Neither will the numbers of Aboriginal people in
decision making positions increase at a satisfactory rate
unless properly structured career development programs are
introduced for Aboriginal staff.
Over the years the Board, with the support of
relevant departments and authorities, has sought to address
these aspects. Let me briefly review a number of these
initiatives. I Equal Employment Opportunity Officers
In 1978 a program to implement a National
Employment Strategy for Aboriginals in the Australian Public
Service was established.
Early next year my Government plans to introduce an
Affirmative Action Srategy.
Departments ind authlorit i on who have not already
.7one so should designate an officer to be responsible for
developing and implementing these programs for Aborigines.
2 Aborigin, 1 Services Program
The Clerk ( Aboriginal Services) Program was
introduced by the Public Service Board in 1981 to meet the
Service's continuing demand for staff with a knowledge and
understanding of Aboriginal people.
At present the Board is undertaking a major
nationwide recruitment drive for the 1984 Aboriginal
Services intake. Ofticers from the Board have beein visiting
departments seeking vacancies for the program.
I am told that departments are being very helpful
and the Board expects to receive in excess of 200 vacancies
for 1984. I urge those departments which have not already
offered opportunities to this program to do so.
The Board is particularly interested in receiving
vacancies from country and isolated offices in areas of high
Aboriginal inemployment.
All departments however can participate in the
program whether or not they provide services directly to
Aboriginal communities.
3. Lateral Recruitment
In previous years the Board has asked departments
to identify positions where an ability to communicate with
Aborigines or a knowledge and understanding of Aboriginal
culture and communities is sean as necessary for the
efficient performance of dut: is.
The Board has introduced a number of initiatives to
try and increase the Aboriginal occupancy rate of these
po. i tions. It is now discussing with departments the
possibility of running regular nation-wide recruitment
programs for identified positions.
This should provide a pool of suitable applicants
for a number of middle level vacancies.
Revised guidciinec are being prepared to assist in
lhoe soe oct: n t appl icI ann .; nr i ( ot. i ied posi. tion"; pay ing
parti cu] ir al: tenLion i, the wiglhti n of the selection
criteria in these positions.
The revised guidelies will be issued early in
1984.
4. T'nmporarary and Exempt Fmploymen-
The employme:) t. of Ahoriginal-, in-temporary arid
exempt positions requires particular attention.
I would urge all departments employing exempt staff
to. ensure that vacancies are made known to Aboriginal people
and that Aboriginal applicants a~ re given full con!-; ideration.
The Gove rrnimen t wonldt like to 3; ee the numbie r of
Ab r i qi naL1 poop l onuipp yodi t 1! x ompti Po l1 i onl" in t1h. 1 at
1 ea! 3t double thie 1982 . iguteo tho ond of 1984.
Vocational Training
The training function is crucial to long--term
success. During the five years Auglust 1978 to September
1983, 2,295 Aboriginal people have received vocational
training in the APS to prepare themn to compete for
employment in both the public and private sectors.
[ live hunidred of theE; e traines; ( 363 per cent)
entered employment at, or shortly after the conclusion of
their training periods 161 per cent oL' these were pla ed in
APS employment. Additional trainees found emnployment in the next
few months in both the private and publ ic sectors.
Tra in ing programns ro date have been primarily
oriented L* towharaIsi ic on-th,-j ob experienc-e for uinemnployed
Aborigines who lacked skii] 3 anid work experience.
I n a( 16i t io n to t his 5a se l evel t ra in i. ng, ot he r
c h eine:; ha1: 1v e a I so ca tL rk 2d 1: o r A ho r.-i i nes!--wh ) i a-1 rea71( 1y pOS SoS 3
skills or who have had somte experience in the workforce and
who re-quire enhancemnent or broaden in'j of thiese skills.
Opportunities for thos; e requiring enhancement of
exisiting skills have however been limnited.
Moro opportuLnities -, houl: d he provided for skill
enhancement, pirttcularly Cor: Aborigjinal people already
employed in Ab: ariginal organisations and enterprises.
As well1 add itional procedures for. moni toring of the
p ro r o s: 3 of the tra irn.-s Io enrure tha) t-thiy amo receiving
u nood qualiAty and CatI I-toot I n r! iin -jg a to nuu(! dccl
Guildeties to be cela-asod by the Board earl! in the
new year should receive the particular attention off
departments and author] ities.
6. The Commonwealth EmploymentPr. gqram
The Commonwealth component oft the Commun it y
Employment Progra the CEP is prov idirm-ng a uscful chanlnel
by which Commonwealth Departments and author ities can employ
Abor ig ines. In the next few months at least 200 Aborigines will
be employod in departments on CEP projects.
Tn i-on a pr xi0 O1y 30 Aho r ifint:: v/ i111 he
employed in authoritie! s.
A major aim of the CEP is to ensure that women
receive an equal share of the jobs created.
I am encouraged, therefore, to see that departme nts
have not only provided jobs for Aboriginal women but that
many of these will result in bonefit to lxborig inal womnin
generally. For example 59 aboriginal women are being engaged.,
to consult with Aboriginal communities about the necclIs and!
views of Aborig inal women on a wido rarige of
Information gathered by these C17P participants will
be referred to the Government by Lhe T isk F. urc on
Aboriginal women, which was set up in my department in July.
T uirge Departments and authorities to join in this
very worthwhile program and to pay particulur attention to
the developm-ient of projects which will offer om,) loymn,-nt for
Ahor ig inal pueople.
7. Study-haf; edDevelopment Programs
-T11a Bo ard has int ro r] uce-i two btat Sd p 0e1-m
to assirst the(-caree--r development ol Abor ig ilmal. '; tafE
ier e the Ahorigin-il Unejc-at ,~ tudy Award-'
Scheme, and the Ahor iginal APS Staff Sponsorsh ip~ Pru-g ran.
I know that several ol the Commonwealth author ities
vwitLi Aborig inal staff have expressed keeninestnthe
two programs;. 1 Would encourage authorities--generally to develop
their own stuidy-base7d dieve'loprm , tt programs as a positiva rCi
effectivye mecans of -iss ist inq t ho1; rerd vol oo-) M': nt-( F th1eir
Abo r C 1 11)
8. Training of Recruits
There is a widle variation in the extent. to which
departments carry out their responsibility for deivelopment
of their Aboriginal Services recruits.
The Board is now developin-g i moce struictured
objectives baSed trainincl program for Aboriginal Service
recruits. Departments will. be responsible fr rgii thce
progjr~ in of:, rolti onp1icmiL , Iriniw o:;: t!' mde;
and counsellIing agreed Lor ealch OL Lthe il recruit., t
Emphasis will be placed hi the Board on
co-ordination of effort anid the co-operative pool ingj of
training resources in the regions.
9. Management Development Initiatives
The Board's Equal Employment Opportunity Bure-au has
taken steps to review the Board's prog ram,, find enhance the
extent and effectiveness of the Board's monitoring of the
status of Aborigines in the APS.
Already it is apparent that, in Fhierarchical
system like the APS, what is really important is getting
Aborigines into the senior levels in increasing numbers, on
mer it. The focus must go beyond enhanc ing recrui tment
opportunities to a commitment by dopartments and authorities
not merely the Board to keep developiLng their Aboriginal
staff and provide fair opportunity for thein th rougiho ut the ir
careers. The Board will shortly he rons-ierinrq a noimhor of
Proposals for !; orv ice-wide spca. nis. r.; Cf-. i( J'c( to ine.: t
those needs not met by existing recruitment and development
programs for Aborigines.
These proposals i: iclude:
development of a Service-wide Middleo Managnment
Program for Aborigines aimed at rapidly icesn
the number of aborigines at mideand
management level.
development of a Pnrsonal Development Br i-g ing
Program luMnEd at a; utnqAhori' i ; 1,1 officers -it
onwer Th i rd F) i v j ii I ~ v I: i o d p o h
skil1l-, anid ' Knowledge needed t-o sticce!: S! f111ly opet
for promotion or for S'ervic'-., ide development
programs.
Affirmative Action
As I mentioned at the outset, my Governnmnt is
committed to an Affirmative Action strategy for Aborigines.
Affirmative Action is a systematic approach to the
identification and elimination of the institutional barriers
that disadvantaged groups encounter in employment.
An Affirmative Action program is a planned, results
orientated, management prog . r: in dos; i([ ned t achieve Equal.
E: 111 oyimen t Oppor tun i t y.
There are two popular misconceptions about
Affirmative Action.
Firstly that it is inconsistent with a system of
selection and promotion based on merit and secondly that it
involves the use of rigid quotas.
Dr Peter Wilenski, the new Chairman of the Public
Service Board, put these issues in perspective when he said:
" In Government services where the merit principle
applies Affirmative Action con.; i! st( ent with that.
principle. Indeed, Affirmative Action can be a
means of making competition more open, that is, of
implementing the merit principle. By introducing
social equity, the element which should be
fundamental to competition, Affirmative Action
removes the effect that characteristics such as
sex, race, national origin and physical handicap
can have on the assessment of merit. Affirmative
Action can provide a much broader range of
efficient applicants to be considered in
selection".
AC i rmative Action dloes not involve 1. th us; of
quotas fixed numbers or percentages which must be attained
or which cannot be exceeded regardless of the numbers of
qualified applicants available.
The setting of numerical goals and targets, is,
however, an essential part of affirmative action.
Goals and targets included in Affirmative Action
Programs are an expression of the expected outcome of the
merit system in conjunction with the programs undertaken to
remove discrimination and ensure equality of opportunity.
The admini istrative ar ranl -ments for the
introduction of affirmative action in Commonwealth
Government employment are currently under consideration in
the Task Force on Public Service Matters.
I expect my colleague, Mr , ohn Dawkins, to be able
i: o announce details of this new progran to all Permanent
Heads early in the new year.
I would like to conclude by thanking you all for
the interest in this area.
1 cannot emphasize too strongly how important it is
that you caerfully address how best to increase employment
and training opportunities . or Aboriginal people in your
depar tmonts anid authoriio..
This deserves your priority attention.