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STORY TELLERS
Harley Carlson achieved his first life goal when he gained a traineeship through Warrigal Employment Centre, with the NSW police, for his final two years at Kanahooka High School.  He quickly came to understand the responsibilities and significance of life in the police force. Harley was then assigned to Warilla Police Command, the busiest police station in NSW. Harley had to overcome the initial wariness and reserve of the police officers at Warilla. The traineeship was a new initiative for the NSW police, and the officers were understandably unsure about having a young teenager accessing highly secure areas of command. By sheer hard work and reliability over time Harley gained the respect, support and friendship of all 250 staff at Warilla. Harley is currently completing the final paperwork to join the NSW police.
Kellie McIntosh is a Murawari woman who grew up on the banks of the Darling River in Bourke, western NSW. Kelli has a Bachelor of Health Science in Occupational Therapy. In 2008, she was awarded the Nick Drysdale Fellowship from the University of Sydney to promote occupational therapy and allied health professions as a career pathway for First Australian students.
Kelli is a Dare to Lead consultant for their Early Learning Project. The aim of the project is to accelerate the oral language development of Koori students in conjunction with the implementation of play-based curriculum in the early years. Kelli is a director of TwoWay Talk Pty Ltd a communications and consultancy company that works in First Australian communities across Australia, developing local, contemporary stories that resonate across the world.
Tehani Mahony grew up with her family in Broome, WA. After primary school she boarded at Perth's PLC, then studied nursing at university for two years. During a holiday trip home Tehani met an RMIT apprenticeships’ officer, visiting her Dad at Nirrumbuk Employment Centre. Her information about plumbing apprenticeships struck a cord, she immediately threw in nursing, moved to Melbourne to begin a plumbing apprenticeship. She started doing sanitary plumbing then moved to air-conditioning plumbing with AG Coombs, which was much better suited to her.
Her Dad was not surprised. ‘Even at primary school, Tehani was probably one of the best footballers and opened the bowling at cricket. She prefers the outdoors and is a bit of a tomboy.’
Tehani has excelled in her trade. During her apprenticeship years she was the recipient of two awards, the Peter Pratt Indigenous Apprentice Award at the Master Plumbers and Mechanical Services Association of Australia annual training awards and a NAIDOC Apprentice of the Year Award.
On completion of her apprenticeship Tehani returned to Broome and is currently working for NUDJ Plumbing Services Pty Ltd, an Aboriginal owned plumbing company in the Kimberley. In addition she is studying business administration. Leightons and John Holland should probably keep an eye on this young dynamo, before they come face-to-face with her in a boardroom.
Adrian Appo is the Executive Officer of Ganbina an Indigenous organisation based in the Goulburn Valley. Adrian has played a key role in developing initiatives that have been instrumental in shaping social change and inclusion for Indigenous community members. Under his guidance, Ganbina has secured corporate and social partnerships that currently realise a financial turnover of $1.1m. Ganbina’s program outcomes and long term achievements have delivered high levels of success that have attracted both national and international interest. Adrian is a Goulburn Murray Fairley Leadership Fellow, a Williamson Community Leadership Fellow and Centenary Medalist for works with the Aboriginal community. He is widely respected for his ability to develop and implement new and innovative approaches in the areas of employment and economic development.
Barbara McGillivray is a proud strong woman from the Tjupan people of the northwest goldfields region in WA. Barbara is State Manager, Indigenous Employment and Training Division at TR7 in Perth. TR7 is a major human resources company, Australia and world-wide. As state manager, Barbara negotiates with companies, recruits, trains, places and mentors Aboriginal people of all ages in permanent employment, in industries as diverse as mining oil and gas, education and allied health.
Barbara embodies the WA ‘can-do’ spirit in a heady mix with Aboriginal way of nurturing and mentoring. She is passionate about ensuring that Aboriginal people gain access to the great employment opportunities and the wealth of Western Australia.In 1994 Barbara gained her Batchelor Degree in Applied Science, through Curtin University. She has continued to study and gain qualifications in areas as diverse as Training and Assessment, business studies and the community courts, Western Desert Languages and Silk Screening. In addition Barbara is politically savvy and through long involvement with the political process at both state and national level, is able to read, assess and react to the political landscape.
Dave Widders is a proud Anaiwan man from Armidale NSW. David has worked for federal, state and local government and currently manages his own consultancy business with a real passion for Aboriginal employment.
David specialises in three training packages: Aboriginal Cultural Awareness – Educating people about the history of Aboriginal people, history and culture and how that impacts on Aboriginal people today. Improving Service Delivery; Motivational Job Search course – Motivating, empowering and giving Aboriginal the confidence to apply for jobs in the mainstream market. Finding the balance between work, family, community and culture; and Mentoring Aboriginal People – Improving the retention rate of Aboriginal people in the workforce. Understanding the impact of family, community and cultural pressures versus workplace culture expectations.
David’s work and goals reflect those of the new Generation One initiative and are similarly grounded in pragmatic ideals and social justice.
Fiona Djerrkura is a Wangurri woman from North East Arnhemland. She Is currently managing the Raypirri Rom team at Miwatj Health Aboriginal Corporation in Nhulunbuy NT. In that role Fiona manages a team of Yolngu social wellbeing workers who provide early intervention and crisis intervention to the people of the Yirrkala community and surrounding areas.
Fiona is the daughter of the late Mr Djerrkura OAM, a very well-respected, loved and esteemed Elder of the Yirrkala community. Mr Djerrkura left an enduring legacy and far-reaching plans for Aboriginal people both locally and Australia-wide. His daughter Fiona is passionate about continuing her father’s work and implementing his vision. From the time she was very young, Fiona regularly accompanied her father in his various official capacities and thus has a thorough understanding of the scope and depth of the job ahead of her.
Fiona has three children and a demanding job, but she still has time, with her partner Jerry, to organise and manage local sporting and community events across a range of sporting codes.
OTHER SPEAKERS
Marcia Kelly is the Northern Australia Regional Manager for Skills DMC - the National Skills Council for Mining, Drilling, Civil Infrastructure and Quarrying. She has worked in Vocational Education and Training for over 19 years, with experience in both the public and private sector in a range of contexts including education management, business mentoring, training and lecturing, event and project management and data gathering and analysis. She has successfully managed both Territory and National projects which focus on improvement of the VET sector, and was a National Change agent for Reframing the Future in 2007. Marcia was engaged as the industry expert on 2006 National strategic audit for hospitality and has been involved in the review and endorsement of several training packages. Marcia is engaged as industry consultant and researcher on many issues involving the Northern Territory. Marcia’s main area of research interest is in traditional learning styles to match conventional learning for indigenous Australians.
 Anne Yaloot is a Jaru woman from the Halls Creek area. Anne currently lives at Bayulu Community where she has raised her family. Bayulu Community is near Fitzroy Crossing, in the Kimberley region of Western Australia.
Anne is committed to lifelong learning for herself and others. As a student at Karrayili Adult Education Centre since 2002, Anne has participated in driver education, computer classes and general education. Anne has also studied at Kimberley TAFE and Completed Certificate II in Community Services. Anne is currently studying Certificate III. In 2008 Anne was elected as a Director and Deputy Chairperson of Karrayili Adult Education Centre.
Since 2006 Anne has been actively involved in the Children, Carer and Country (CCC) project. Anne is chairperson of the project which was incorporated in 2010. The CCC project is a partnership between several Aboriginal communities in the West Kimberley, Kimberley TAFE and the Centre for Equity and Innovation in Early Childhood at The University of Melbourne. The project aims to redress the long-term effects of discrimination in Aboriginal communities by working with stakeholders to build strong local partnerships and capacity that can support long term, sustainable growth of high quality, culturally respectful and culturally relevant early learning spaces for young children.
The CCC project is founded on recognizing and honouring Aboriginal ways of being and knowing and uses ‘two-way’ Learning Circles, mentoring and a participatory action research approach to share perspectives, experiences, knowledge and skill and link participants to appropriate mentors, resources, skill building and training. Embedded in all of CCC’s activities is a commitment to strengthen Aboriginal language, identity and culture.
Anne was also a key person in establishing the Bayulu women’s group. In 2007 Anne and other women from Bayulu, as part of their studies at Karrayili and involvement with the CCC project, applied to Lotterywest for a vehicle. The application was successful and in 2008 they bought a vehicle to support them in achieving their aims developed through the CCC project.
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