RAPs are, of course, varied in their commitments and outcomes but the nearly 500 plans currently in operation have made an important contribution to Indigenous employment, education and enterprises.
Ros Moriarty is right on the money when she argues that “retaining and progressing Indigenous staff through a career” is where greater effort needs to be focussed. To this end, Reconciliation Australia is currently delivering its Workplace Ready Program to employers across the country. The program provides practical advice on creating a workplace culture that will allow Indigenous staff to flourish through a satisfying and productive career.
A recent speech I gave to the Municipal Association of Victoria mirrored Ros Moriarty’s comments.
However, RAPs are about more than creating jobs. The program’s impact across a range of needs, including employment and training, pro bono work, educational scholarships, cultural exchanges and training, and supply diversity suggest that the RAP program is one of the country’s hardest working and most effective in terms of supporting the national priority of closing the gap.
RAPs are also having an enormous impact on reducing mistrust and ignorance, and building real personal relationships between First Peoples and other Australians. The most recent evaluation of the RAP program found significant differences in attitudes towards Indigenous people between the general community and employees of RAP organisations.
The RAP Impact Measurement report shows that people in RAP organisations have much higher levels of trust between each other than the general community (71 per cent compared to 13 per cent); are far less prejudiced (9 per cent compared to 70 per cent); and have greater pride in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures (77 per cent compared to 51 per cent).
95 per cent of surveyed employees in RAP organisations believe the relationship between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous staff is good compared with 46 per cent in the general community.
All programs which purport to benefit First Peoples should be scrutinised and evaluated (and improved where necessary), however, we know that RAPs are changing workplace culture and attitudes and are contributing to significant economic and social outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
We are confident that all our RAP partners are motivated by good intentions rather than just “ticking the box”. We strongly believe that the RAP program’s proven awareness raising impact will make a substantial difference when, in the next few years, Australians are asked to tick a different box on the referendum paper seeking constitutional recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
