Indigenous Employment in Higher Education on the Rise
April 12, 2005
The National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) today announced that there has been a significant rise in the number of Indigenous staff employed in Higher Education between 2001 and 2004. Data provided by the Department of Education Science and Training (DEST) indicates that there was a 24% increase in Indigenous staff numbers between 2001 and 2004, whereas non-Indigenous staff numbers increased by 11% for the same period.
The most marked change in Indigenous staff numbers occurred between 2003 and 2004 in which the number of Indigenous staff increased by almost double that of the previous years increase. NTEU research indicates that in 2001, just 0.6% of all staff in higher education were Indigenous Australians, which was well below the equity benchmark of 2.2%.
“These changes reflect the success of the NTEU negotiating agreement to the Indigenous specific clause as part of the enterprise bargaining agreements (EBA’s) at all Australian tertiary institutions” said Joel Wright, NTEU Indigenous Officer. The NTEU EBA clause commits tertiary institutions to implementing an Indigenous employment strategy with established targets to increase the number of Indigenous staff employed over the life of the agreements.
“In addition, valuable support was provided by the Federal Minister for Education Science and Training, Dr Brendan Nelson, to increase Indigenous employment through the Government’s adoption of additional funding guidelines to the Indigenous Support Funding (ISF)”, Mr Wright said. The ISF guidelines for 2004 -2007 include a requirement for Institutions to have an Indigenous employment strategy and to establish an Indigenous Advisory Committee to be eligible for these extra operating funds.
Mr Wright said, “The current upward trend in Indigenous staffing numbers against a historical backdrop represents a shining example of how Governments, Universities, Unions and Indigenous people can put aside the broader politics of the day and focus on developing solutions to what are very difficult issues”.
The new National Indigenous Higher Education Advisory Council at is inaugural meeting at Parliament House on 16th March 2005, indicated it will also investigate further recommendations to increase Indigenous staff numbers in Higher Education. The success of these initiatives has prompted the NTEU to make a submission to the House of Representative Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs’, “Inquiry into Indigenous Employment”, later next month.
In addition the annual NTEU National Indigenous Members' Forum to be held 23rd & 24th April 2005 will bring together Indigenous NTEU Members, who will also be asked to consider additional recommendations to support existing Indigenous staff conditions and to further increase the number of Indigenous staff overall.
For more information or interviews contact:
Joel Wright, National Indigenous
Officer
(03) 9254 1910