Reconciliation is about strengthening relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, for the benefit of all Australians. The development of NDY’s second Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) conveys our ambition to advance our reconciliation journey.
Reconciliation Australia’s RAP program provides a supporting framework for NDY to positively contribute to the social, cultural and economic outcomes and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities. NDY’s RAP sets out clear, actionable commitments for the next year across the key pillars of RAPs:
- Relationships
- Respect and
- Opportunities.
Since our first RAP was endorsed in March 2020, NDY have and will continue to engage with many representatives from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to educate our people and create a more harmonious society. We believe our own people can be agents for change, with the potential to drive attitudinal change in their own communities.
NDY aim to be recognised as a company that engages compassionately, constructively and collaboratively with Aboriginal and Torres Straits Islander peoples and stakeholders involved with or affected by projects we are involved in. We will actively create and promote employment, education, professional development and supply chain opportunities for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples, communities and organisations, specifically within the engineering industry where our core expertise lies.
The NDY RAP Working Group (chaired by NDY Australia’s Regional Director) together with the Australian Executive Team and Diversity & Inclusion Working Group (chaired by our CEO) will drive and coordinate the implementation of our RAP commitments.
NDY endeavour to continuously improve its approach to reconciliation, building on its successes, reporting on progress and setting new, more ambitious goals through future RAPs.
Our actions
NDY is working towards greater reconciliation in Australia by:
- Focussing on increasing the employment and professional development of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander employees
- Active sponsorship and involvement in Engineering Aid’s Indigenous Australia Engineering School programs which aim to inspire high school students to pursue a career in engineering.
- Establishing dedicated internships for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islanders.
- Establishing scholarship programs for Indigenous undergraduate tertiary engineering students in both NSW and WA to support building a pipeline of talent into our industry.
- Building strong business partnerships with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander owned and operated businesses to increase Indigenous representation in our supply chain.
- Building awareness and understanding of Indigenous histories and cultures.
- Investing in staff training that aims to ensure the cultural safety and capability of our workplaces.
Acknowledgement
NDY acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the lands, waters, skies and all living things across the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nations in Australia in where we live and work. Specifically, we pay our respects to the Noongar, Kaurna, Yuggera, Ngunnawal, Wurundjeri and Cammeraygal peoples as the Traditional Owners of the lands where our offices currently stand. We respect the enduring and unique connection to lands and waters, kinship connection, language, traditional laws and lore, customs and ceremonies. We pay respect to each Nations’ Elders past, present and emerging.
At NDY we are enriched by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ contributions to our organisation and we commit to working together to build a prosperous and inclusive Australia.
