Australia’s construction industry is not normally known as being a champion of diversity.
Recent research shows the gender gap in construction is the highest of any industry, and inclusion of Indigenous workers, members of the LGBTQI+ communities and people of diverse cultural backgrounds is still a challenge the industry faces.
However Schiavello Construction has announced plans for a greater level of indigenous participation in the industry and appointed former Australian Olympian, Kyle Vander Kuyp, to a key leadership role in the company.
The intention its says, is to help close the gap of participation for Indigenous Australians in the industry and build a better future for their communities.
As head of Schiavello Ganbu, an indigenous business and part of the Schiavello Construction, Kyle Vander Kuyp formalised its Indigenous Participation plan in 2017 with a goal to increase the representation of Indigenous employees across the relevant Schiavello Group companies to at least 3 percent by 2020.
It operates across four key areas: Youth Employment, Youth Education, Community & Corporate Partnerships and Cultural Awareness.
Now, one year out, the plan is on track to exceed its goals, and welcomes new employees from across Australia into the wider Schiavello family.
Since the announcement of the program, Schiavello Ganbu has helped to find and place 12 apprentices and full-time staff, connected with more than 50 government agencies, job service providers and community organisations, kicked-off their sponsorship programme and has run over 10 Cultural sessions for Schiavello staff in Australia, with even more planned in the next 18 months.
“At Schiavello we treat everyone with respect - not just our clients, but our employees, our communities and each other. It’s an important part of our work culture. I’d invite anyone interested in seeing what opportunities there are to get in touch,” says Kyle Vander Kuyp, head of Schiavello Ganbu.
Image: Notre Dame Online
