Building Argyle's Aboriginal workforce

Argyle is committed to increasing the representation of Aboriginal people in its workforce, to help build their skills base, expand their career options and increase their economic participation. It is therefore employing a number of innovative staff recruitment strategies - less intimidating than standard recruitment procedures - to ensure that they are able to capitalise on employment opportunities at the mine site. These include:

• Pre-employment training: Argyle has one-and-a-half-day assessment programmes, on site, that provide job applicants with feedback on their current skill levels and the training they need to undertake to maximise future employment opportunities. Argyle then works with the attendees to guide them through vocational training or other pre-employment training they need to become work-ready.
• Accelerated training: In 2004 Argyle introduced a short-term traineeship programme providing accelerated training opportunities for particularly keen and committed Aboriginal job applicants who don't yet possess all the requisite skills to work at the mine. The nine month traineeships initially involve daily work within the maintenance workshop, which is followed after three months by enrolment in further studies. Argyle then works with successful graduates to develop their skills so that they will be ready for a traineeship or full-time employment.
• Flexible traineeships and apprenticeships: In 2003, Argyle entered into an agreement with the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations to employ 150 trainees and apprentices over five years, across a span of trades and professions, from plumbing through to environmental science. This resulted in 31 apprenticeships and traineeships being offered to local Aboriginal people in 2004. The traineeships under this partnership now extend to off-site traineeships, in several towns on the outskirts of the Argyle mine which enable participants to train and be assessed in their own communities, with only short-term work experience required at the mine site.
• New entry points into Argyle: While many members of the local Aboriginal workforce are keen to work at the mine, they often do not possess the necessary literacy, numeracy, teamwork and safety skills to be employed full-time. Subsequently, Argyle has created a number of new entry points into the organisation, beyond its traditional apprenticeships and traineeships, that will help ensure that Aboriginal people are able to compete successfully for permanent jobs at the mine. New positions have been created with the garden and the construction and maintenance services team which allow Aboriginal employees to develop a range of skills, away from production pressures, and participate in tailored training to place them in a better position to compete for operator or trades positions.
• Career planning: Argyle is developing career paths for already experienced Aboriginal employees within the organisation that will move them beyond operator and trades roles, and into other areas of the business where they are currently under-represented.
• 'Alternative' employment at Argyle: Argyle recognises the value that Aboriginal people deliver to its business beyond their involvement in operations related employment. Aboriginal people who otherwise would find it difficult entering the mainstream labour market now provide remunerated services to Argyle for ceremonial services, land management, site protection, provision of cross-cultural training to Argyle staff and monitoring and implementation of the Participation Agreement.