Growing up in regional Queensland, Topaz Mc Auliffe recalls feeling lucky. "Being a Torres Strait Islander - grandfather from Moa Island and grandmother from Yorke Island - and growing up in Cairns, we were always told that we needed to get a job," she recalls.
After starting a career at St.George Bank, working in lending, finance and insurance, she volunteered for a project to address local unemployment. "That opened my eyes as to why there were high rates of First Nations people out of work in places like Cairns and Shepparton," she explains. I spent 12 months understanding what the barriers were. There were a lot of jobs and a lot of people looking for work, but the system just wasn't delivering. It was broken." A pilot work program was started, and Coles offered her a job. She spent a decade setting up a new employment system for the retail group, which has now spread to many parts of Australia. That led her to starting her own business so that she could become more broadly involved.
McAuliffe describes employment initiatives as having two major benefits for employees. One is to ensure that people hear about job vacancies. "It wasn't until I started at Coles that I realised there were opportunities to earn six figures if you worked hard. But there wasn't the awareness about career paths.
"There was a need for employers to find better ways to employ First Nations people. They had to refine their processes, similar to other diversity programs, and consider ways to increase opportunities. We found a lot of barriers, so we needed to identify where breakdowns were occurring and work out solutions.
"People take the attitude that they have employment, they've got commitment, let's just get moving. But it takes about a decade to develop a sustainable employment process."
What makes her system work? McAuliffe cites two factors.
This story is from the February 2023 edition of Money Magazine Australia.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the February 2023 edition of Money Magazine Australia.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Is the public market shrinking?
Australia needs a healthy stock market to give companies access to funds and to allow retail investors to build wealth.
India: three steps to transformation
Massive investment and extensive reforms turbocharge the economy.
The ballet of business
Changing direction, products, models and marketing is a hard task for a business. We chart what it takes to turn a business around, plus profile four successful pivots.
Save money and the planet
Could the high cost of living give us the incentive we need to reduce how much water and energy we use or waste? These eco-friendly household tips will help you do just that.
AI adoption is the new black
Artificial intelligence is set to reshape the commercial world, and small enterprises can’t afford to miss the boat.
Spam attack! Murky laws jam our inboxes
Unwanted marketing material is one of the pain points of modern life.
From rags to riches in style
Rich Tran sported a bowl cut until he was 14 years old and had no intention of becoming a hairdresser.
New work deals are killing the 'old' office
The Covid pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns accelerated the trend to more people working from home. It was a mixed experience.
Points taken: the truth about rewards
Can hopping between credit cards really boost your frequent flyer haul and give you cheap or free travel - or is it doing more harm than good behind the scenes? Money puts it to the test.
Shortcuts to own a home
Innovative ideas with a focus on low costs and sustainability could help solve the housing crunch.