QRC applauds QCoal’s Indigenous employment

QRC Chief Executive, Ian Macfarlane, said QCoal’s Indigenous representation at its Bowen Basin mine was 12%, which was 3 times the industry average.

“Indigenous people comprise 4% of the State’s workforce in resources and Queensland’s Indigenous population is 4%. We are one of only two sectors with a true representation of Indigenous people in our workforce,” Macfarlane said.

“Another milestone is Indigenous women in resources who represent 24% of the Indigenous workforce, which is close to twice the non-Indigenous rate.

“QCoal has a resolute commitment to playing its part in creating economic opportunities for Indigenous Australians at its Byerwen coal mine.”

In consultation with the Traditional Owners of the area, the Jangga People, two key programmes have been developed and implemented. A pre-vocational work readiness programme: Thida Bullaroo, or ‘step-by-step’ in local language, and a trainee operator programme, Yila Yina Mundu, or ‘turnaround from here’.

“QCoal has implemented a comprehensive Indigenous participation strategy across the business and were joint winners in the Best Company Indigenous Employment and Training Initiative category at the 2019 QRC Indigenous Awards,” Macfarlane added. “Across all of its operations, the QCoal Group’s Indigenous representation is 7%, which is incredibly high compared to the industry average and other sectors.”

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcoal.com/coal/20082020/qrc-applauds-qcoals-indigenous-employment/