While many Census statistics have been released, figures on Indigenous unemployment will not be available until later this year.
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Twenty-five-year-old Tamika Townsend has been working with a focus on Indigenous employment since moving to Canberra from the Bega Valley.
Through her work on Reconciliation Action Plans (RAPs), Ms Townsend has seen how breaking down stereotypes and false perceptions has improved employment outcomes.
“It’s not just about giving someone a job but creating culturally safe workplaces that genuinely support and understand Indigenous Australians,” she said.
“There’s a lot of inter-generational trauma in Bega, and I feel the community is not over that yet, a lot of people don’t understand that which creates an instant barrier in society and workplaces.
"Local government has a big sphere of influence, which could include putting signs up and promoting Djiringanj culture."
- Tamika Townsend
“Through Reconciliation Australia I got to see awesome work going on in Australia, I remember thinking to myself a number of times that would be a deadly initiative in Bega.”
Recent data collected by local researcher and Djiringanj and Ngarigo man David Dixon, claimed the rate of Indigenous Australian unemployment in the Bega Valley was as high as 70 per cent.
“Places like local government, the cheese factory and different industries, could pull their weight when it comes to employing Indigenous people,” Ms Townsend said.
“Local government has a big sphere of influence, which could include putting signs up and promoting Djiringanj culture.
“There’s untapped opportunities in the fishing industry, and its a billion dollar industry where Indigenous people have been working in for thousands of years.”
New figures tabled in state parliament revealed just nine out of 2,747 staff employed in the NSW Department of Industry’s regional offices are Indigenous.
Ms Townsend said connecting to culture and custom for indigenous people, and cross-cultural training for non-indigenous people are important in raising employment levels.
“It’s about making the kids feel proud and confident of the contribution they make,” she said.
“Australia has come a long way but still has a long way to go.
“Relationships are, to me, the key to making progress in all areas.
“It has to do with race relationships, equality, equity and breaking down racism.”
Justin Field, Greens MLC, said more localised Indigenous unemployment data should be readily available.
“It’s appalling that we don’t have reliable, localised data available to help inform community debate and policy responses to the challenge of Indigenous youth unemployment,” he said.
“The unemployment rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 15 years and over was 20.6 per cent nationally last year, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
“Community surveys, other data sources and anecdotal evidence suggest Indigenous unemployment among young people is higher, perhaps as high as 70 per cent in the Bega district alone.
“Behind the numbers is the human story of a generation of unemployed and underemployed Indigenous youth facing harsh and, in many cases, life-altering disadvantage.”
Mr Field said “social injustice and inequality” were behind the staggering numbers.
“Indigenous youth face discrimination and racism when seeking job opportunities, on top of the existing barriers facing all young people looking for work and training in regional areas,” he said.
“I’m calling on the NSW Government to ensure the region gets the financial support it needs to start to turn these figures around, and that local Indigenous people and communities are at the heart of making this happen.”