‘Ladders to Success,’ facilitates the transition of indigenous people into the workforce. The concept is about being able to assist everyone to move one step up the Ladder of Success. The model:

Focuses on mainstreaming indigenous employment

Finding career paths through full-time jobs in skilled or professional areas

Links employment assistance to identifying further education and training options, and

Aims at real and sustainable employment rather than welfare wages.

‘ Ladders to Success ,’ has functioned in three distinct phases:

I - Demonstration Project 2000
II - Ladders to Success 2002-2005
III - Current activity

Demonstration Project 2000

The demonstration project was conducted over 9-months in 2000/2001. The demonstration project resulted in 37 employment placements against a target of 18. The mentoring component of the project provided support for in excess of 40 indigenous workers.

Ladders to Success 2002-2005

The Ladders to Success Project, implemented December 2002, as a partnership between the Commonwealth Department of Employment Workplace Relations (DEWR), the Department of Victorian Communities (DVC), the City of Greater Shepparton (COGS), Ganbina and approximately 60 local businesses, focused on achieving real and sustainable employment for Indigenous people in mainstream skilled or professional areas.

In dealing with 131 individuals registered with the program, 125 fulltime or part-time/casual employment positions were created. A total of 73 full time employment positions were accessed. Of these 73 fulltime employment positions 64 achieved the outcome goal, delivering a successful retention rate of 88%. 93% of placements were achieved in the private sector, varying from previous trends of “Indigenous jobs only in the Indigenous positions”.

This level of outstanding success has been acknowledged through the former DEWR State Manager:

“Ladders (to Success) is placing Indigenous job seekers in more numbers and at a faster rate than any other program.” (Bob Harvey),

and subsequently the current DEWR State Manager,

“The project has also influenced the impact of other service provision and the expectation that both providers and DEWR view as possible for Indigenous job seekers” (Kerren Thorsen).

In the three years of operation of the government-funded project, it became apparent that the ‘work ready job seeker pool’ had been significantly depleted. To access the potential employment opportunities still on offer to a largely unemployed Indigenous population, differing methods of engagement and development will be required by Governments and others. Meanwhile Ganbina has focused its efforts on lessening the numbers of indigenous youth entering the unemployment environment through the Jobs 4 U 2 and Ladders To Success (III) programs.