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Indigenous trainee applications open

Indigenous school students across Australia are being encouraged to apply for a position with ANZ’s Indigenous School Based Traineeship Program for 2010. The two year Program enables Indigenous students to undertake a paid traineeship in an ANZ branch and complete a Certificate II qualification at TAFE while finishing high school. 

ANZ Managing Director Retail Distribution, Louis Hawke, said ANZ is seeking to increase the number of places available in the Program to 180 trainees for 2010. This compares to the 135 trainees who are currently taking part in the Program. The Program is part of ANZ’s Reconciliation Action Plan, commitment to the Australian Employment Covenant (AEC) and workplace diversity. 

 

“We are looking for Indigenous students who are currently in Year 10 who are motivated, enthusiastic, team players, eager to learn new things and meet new people,” Mr Hawke said. 

 

More than 220 Indigenous trainees have been recruited as part of the Program since it was launched in 2003. 

 

As part of the Program, trainees will:

  • Work at least one day per week as a trainee service consultant in an ANZ branch;
  • Achieve a national Certificate II qualification;
  • Receive support and mentoring from ANZ staff and Indigenous mentors;
  • Work with an ANZ Career Development Manager to help plan their career. 

 

“Since the program started, we have seen more than 70% of our traineeship graduates progress to permanent positions at ANZ. Some traineeship graduates have undertaken further study while working part time at ANZ and some have decided to pursue opportunities outside ANZ after gaining skills and confidence working with customers. 

 

“Our employees need to represent the communities we serve so we can meet the needs of our customers. We have found local communities have more confidence approaching a main stream bank that they can see investing in their community,” Mr Hawke said. 

 

ANZ became the first major Australian company to register a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) in April 2007. Commitments under ANZ’s RAP include:

  • Setting employment targets to employ, develop and promote Indigenous people based on merit. This includes a target of 10% of entry-level roles in the branch network (352 jobs) to be filled by Indigenous Australians by the end of 2011.
  • A target of retaining, developing and promoting a minimum of 20 Indigenous employees to leadership positions, based on merit.

 

Applications for the 2010 intake of the ANZ Indigenous School Based Traineeship close on 31 July 2009. For more information, visit www.anz.com/indigenousemployment 

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