Creating pathways for First Peoples

Our Industry, Capability and Inclusion (ICI) team recently delivered the first phase of the 2-part initiative, On Track to GROW.

The initiative is aimed at building awareness and creating pathways into the transport and transport infrastructure industries for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (First Peoples). It involves two sessions, starting with the staff working closely with First Peoples students. This is followed by a second impactful on-site session with the students themselves at Rail Academy Newport (RAN).

Through collaboration with our alliance partners, North West Program Alliance (NWPA) and Major Roads Program Alliance (MRPA), we've made significant strides toward our vision of creating sustainable connections between local communities, schools and industry partners.

Coordinated and facilitated by Fatimah Siddique, the sessions involved:

  • a Career Planning session for Koori Education Support Officers and HeadStart practitioners to enhance their ability to promote industry pathways. The session featured inspiring guest speaker Marion Olen, a Torres Strait Islander woman from Badu Island, who shared her personal journey and current work at NWPA.
  • a school immersion program at RAN for First Peoples secondary school students from Melbourne's western suburbs, featuring personal and professional journey stories from 3 First Peoples V/Line staff and A2B Personnel.
  • hands-on immersion activities with V/Line, including a customer service scenario in an HCMT train and designing their own station alongside the real-life Melton NWPA station build team.

Feedback from the sessions were overwhelmingly positive, with:

  • an 80% increase in the likelihood of educators promoting the industry as a career pathway
  • 65% of students now likely to consider the transport and infrastructure industries as possible future pathways, an increase from an initial zero interest from every student.

When asked about the session, student feedback highlighted how it had opened their eyes to new options.

"Today's event helped me see how many job opportunities there are in transport infrastructure." Said a student. "It gave me more options into what I want to explore."

The GROW program continues to work on prioritising cultural safety and self-determination while demystifying industry pathways.

Looking ahead, we're planning site visits for students to experience a real-life train station build in action, further strengthening these meaningful industry connections.