Rirratjingu Career Pathway
The Rirratjingu Aboriginal Corporation Career Pathways Program, delivered through our Barawun Centre in Yirrkala, is all about building employment, training, education and micro business pathways for Yolŋu.
The Program provides participants with the support and encouragement required to help them along their career pathway. The support is tailored to the wishes of each individual. Some people will want to get a job, others will want support around education and training while others will be given help to set up their small business.
The Program employs specialist mentors whose role is to provide encouragement, support and to open doors that help each person progress along their career pathway.
The Barawun Centre provides the community with a training facility, a culturally based enterprise centre and a point of reference to visit and discuss career opportunities.
Our mentors are experts in existing and complementary community support services. Their role is to manage linkages and other community
services to help participants looking to secure employment, education or training outcomes.
The approach of our Career Pathways Program and our Barawun Centre is to make sure every community person that seeks assistance is provided with a welcoming environment and a supportive person to provide guidance.
The Program is designed to provide support to help each person take the next step on their career pathway and to also provide ongoing support after each person has secured employment or otherwise.
The Importance of Indigenous Career Development
The Career Pathway Program is an important service providing Yolŋu across the Gove Peninsula with a friendly and welcoming place where they can go to discuss their career choices.
The services provided at the Barawun Centre play a key role in helping individuals take their first steps toward a career. For some, this means developing essential life skills to meet workplace entry requirements. For others, it involves connecting them with education and training providers. Some may simply need support in overcoming barriers and exploring career options.
The Barawun Centre has been designed to welcome Indigenous jobseekers and others in a relaxed environment and help launch their individual career pathways. The Centre is used for a broad range of activities designed to motivate, educate and plan. The Centre also includes a modern training facility.
The importance of our Career Pathway Program is about being available to encourage and remove the roadblocks. Our approach has been designed to be flexible to individual needs and circumstances.
Rirratjingu’s Career Pathway Program Details
Who is the Career Pathway Program for?
This focus of our Career Pathway Program and Barawun Centre is to deliver individually tailored career guidance support to Yolŋu across the Gove Peninsula. The program welcomes all Yolŋu into the Barawun Centre at the start of their journey into employment, education and training and micro business.
What can you expect from the program?
The Career Pathway Program is delivering outstanding results by connecting Yolŋu to their career preferences. Support is personalised to each individual and continues from the moment they walk into the Barawun Centre through each subsequent step in the career pathway.
What resources are included?
Our team of mentors and support staff at the Barawun Centre work with employers and other organisations within the community to ensure program participants are equipped with the skills, materials and equipment to follow their career choices.
How is the Career Pathway Program funded?
The Career Pathways Program is an innovative approach to supporting Yolŋu through their career choices. The concept was developed by the Rirratjingu Aboriginal Corporation and attracted four year support funding through the National Indigenous Australian Agency (NIAA).
How long does the program last?
The Program is funded for four years commencing 1 July 2023. The Rirratjingu Aboriginal Corporation will seek to ensure the Program continues to provide support to Yolŋu beyond this date.
Partnering with Rirratjingu Businesses
The Career Pathway Program focuses on helping Yolŋu in the Gove Peninsula progress their career, while also working with employers to understand their needs. The importance of this is to better prepare participants for employment, and to also support them and the employer once they are in employment.
Among the many employers across the region, the Rirratjingu Aboriginal Corporation is itself a major employer providing numerous employment options for Yolŋu through its various commercial subsidiaries.
Rirratjingu Mining
Rirratjingu Mining operates as a successful blue metal quarry. It was established to achieve two objectives: To provide employment opportunities for Yolŋu people across the Gove Peninsula, and secondly, to provide a range of rock products to Rio Tinto to be used in ‘on country’ rehabilitation.
In partnership with our Career Pathway Program, this business provides a range of mining and heavy machinery operator employment opportunities for Yolŋu.
Rirratjingu Fuel
Rirratjingu Fuel supplies diesel for electricity generation across the Gove Peninsula, including Nhulunbuy and Yirrkala. It also sells bulk fuel to third-party consumers. The haulage of fuel to customers across the Gove Peninsula provides employment opportunities and pathways for interested Yolŋu.
Rirratjingu Project Management
Rirratjingu Project Management provides RAC and the region with substantial capacity to undertake major construction and civil engineering initiatives.
Given RAC’s history of successfully completed large infrastructure projects, and with several more infrastructure projects planned, Rirratjingu Project Management will be working closely with the Career Pathway Program to provide a range of construction-related career opportunities for local Yolŋu.
Rirratjingu Property Maintenance and Management Services
Rirratjingu Property Management and Maintenance Services (RPMMS) delivers housing maintenance services for 130 properties in Yirrkala as part of its contract with the NT Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics.
RPMMS works closely with the Barawun Centre to create career pathway opportunities for local Yolŋu.
With its large skilled Indigenous work crew working alongside qualified tradespeople, RPMMS is an ideal business vehicle to support RAC’s indigenous employment and training objectives.
Career Pathway Program Alumni
“The Barawun Centre is a good place for Yolŋu to come for help with their career because I came here, and Wil helped me straight away. I studied Aboriginal Health at the Bachelor Institute and worked for many years on Groote Eylandt, but I couldn’t find a job since moving to Yirrkala. Now I work at Laynhapuy Homelands Aboriginal Corporation and Miwatj Health Aboriginal Corporation who I travel with to Homeland communities every two weeks. Thanks to the Barawun Centre, I can continue to use my knowledge and experience to help others. If you’re Yolŋu looking for training or djama or not sure what you want to do in life, come to Barawun Centre”
– Mundukul Gilbert Marawili
Connect with Us
Achieving career pathway opportunities for Yolŋu is our mission. The staff of the Barawun Centre are ready to welcome all Yolŋu across the Gove Peninsula seeking career support and guidance.
Employers across the Gove Peninsula are encouraged to make contact and seek the assistance of Centre staff in filling employment opportunities and also supporting their Indigenous workforce.
