First Nations Workforce Participation Research
Public Skills Australia
Who funded the project
Karabena Consulting was engaged by Public Skills Australia (PSA) to manage and deliver the First Nations Workforce Participation Research. The project examined First Nations employment, qualifications and workforce pathways across PSA's six industry-sectors: Fire and Emergency Services, Police, Defence, Correctional Services, Local Government, and Federal and State/Territory Government, collectively referred to as the Public Safety and Government industry-sectors.
Closing the Gap Target 6 aims to lift the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 25 to 34 with a tertiary qualification (Certificate III or above) to 70 per cent by 2031, from a 2016 baseline of 42.3 per cent. In 2021, the national rate was 47 per cent, and the Productivity Commission assesses that current progress does not support target achievement. As the Jobs and Skills Council for its six industry-sectors, PSA needed a data-rich, sector-wide picture of how First Nations people enter, are trained, progress and remain within these workforces, to inform its future workforce planning and address ministerial priorities on Closing the Gap.
Through this research, Karabena provided PSA with actionable insights, sector-by-sector findings and evidence-based recommendations to support progress against Target 6 across its industry-sectors.
To achieve the project aims, Karabena:
Identified evidence gaps and barriers to statistical data collection across each industry-sector, in collaboration with PSA.
Undertook consultations and engagement with First Nations employees and leaders and industry-sector stakeholders nationally, to gather workforce intelligence on barriers to participation, retention and skills training.
Analysed quantitative workforce and training data, including from the 2021 Census and NCVER VOCSTATS, disaggregated by sector, gender and qualification level.
Developed sector-specific findings, recommendations, implementation priorities and success markers.
Summary
The project aim was to deliver a mixed-methods research report tracking how PSA's six industry-sectors are performing against Closing the Gap Target 6, and to deliver insights which could be actioned to achieve the target within those sectors. This included identifying evidence gaps and barriers to First Nations workforce participation, career progression and access to skills training, developing opportunities for national collaboration across often state-based industry stakeholders, and generating insights to inform PSA's future workforce planning and corporate strategy.
Project Aims
Karabena delivered the project across three phases:
Phase 1, Project Scoping and Data Collection: Karabena worked with PSA to identify key evidence gaps and barriers to statistical data collection across each industry-sector, reviewed existing research, consulted relevant industry stakeholders, and developed a clear data collection and analysis plan.
Phase 2, Data Collection and Analysis: Karabena completed quantitative analysis of workforce and training data, drawing on the 2021 Census and NCVER VOCSTATS, disaggregated by sector, gender and qualification level from Certificate III through to postgraduate qualifications, as well as qualitative consultations with First Nations employees and leaders across each sector.
Phase 3, Finalisation: Karabena synthesised the quantitative and qualitative findings into a final report, including sector-by-sector chapters, key themes, implementation priorities and success markers, including developing a companion Resource Library for CtG Target 6. Indigenous Data Sovereignty principles guided the handling of all information about First Nations people throughout.
Methodologies
Outputs
The key output from this project was a report validating emerging findings. The final report includes a summary of key findings across all six industry-sectors and a chapter-by-chapter breakdown for each sector. A Companion Resource Library for CtG Target 6 was also developed.
Public Skills Australia now has a sector-specific evidence base to support Closing the Gap Target 6 across its six industry-sectors
Our recommendations provide insights into First Nations-governed workforce data collection, cultural safety training, recognition of prior learning, and national collaboration across often state-based industry stakeholders.
Implementation is anticipated through PSA's workforce planning and corporate strategy, with First Nations people leading the design of the resulting data collections and industry structures.
Project Outcomes
#ClosingTheGap
#Target6
#FirstNationsWorkforce
#PublicSkillsAustralia
#IndigenousDataSovereignty
#CulturalSafety
#PublicSafety
#SelfDetermination
#WorkforceParticipation
#VETSector