ANZ recognises Indigenous trainee graduates in Sydney
ANZ today congratulated its Sydney-based Indigenous trainees that graduated from the Aboriginal Employment Strategy’s (AES) School Based Traineeship program at a ceremony in Redfern today.
Speaking at the ceremony, ANZ Chief Operating Officer David Cartwright said: “This program highlights how far we have come as a community and how far major organisations have come in recognising the importance of diversity and making a genuine commitment to our local communities.”
ANZ Senior Manager, Indigenous Employment Bruce McQualter said ANZ’s school-based traineeships provide positive outcomes and opportunities for every participant whether it leads them into a permanent role, a full-time traineeship or further study. “The traineeships help to create a pathway into careers that many young people may not otherwise consider. This also makes very good business sense as it helps us build a pipeline of talented young people that want work for us in the communities in which we operate,” Mr McQualter said.
The graduates from the central Sydney district are seven of 43 ANZ school-based trainees who will graduate from the AES this year. ANZ’s Indigenous school-based traineeships are part of ANZ’s Corporate Responsibility framework.
ANZ is committed to employing, developing and promoting Indigenous people to establish teams that are representative of the communities in which they live, work and operate.
Specific commitments include:
• making 5 per cent of entry-level roles in the Australian branch network available for Indigenous Australians who complete an ANZ traineeship, with at least half of those attaining their training through the support of the AES by 2011; and
• retaining, developing and promoting Indigenous employees to leadership positions with 20 Indigenous staff in management positions by 2014.
ANZ has recruited 215 trainees over the past 12 months and has committed to recruiting another 100 Indigenous trainees in 2011. Applications for the next ANZ Indigenous School Based Trainee intake open in April 2011. Applications for ANZ Indigenous Full Time Traineeships will open in August 2011. For more information, visit www.anz.com/indigenousemployment