Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) will deliver a massive pipeline of jobs across the city-shaping network – including career pathways for eager Indigenous interns wanting to be part of Victoria’s biggest transport infrastructure project.
A growing number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are preparing to join the 8000-strong workforce that will deliver SRL East – the 26km twin-tunnel line linking Cheltenham to Box Hill.
Construction starts later this year, and Suburban Rail Loop Authority (SRLA) is bringing Indigenous apprentices into the workforce through the Victorian Government’s Barring Djinang program, a 5-year Indigenous employment strategy supporting the next generation of highly skilled workers.
Barring Djinang intern Kahlilla Rigby says the program gives Indigenous people a chance to work in areas they may not have considered otherwise.
‘The experience an individual gains through their internships will help them get a job in their desired area, which I am grateful for,’ she says.
‘The program looks at what your skills are and will scope out the right agency for you based on your interests.’
Fellow intern Luke Campbell says he hopes to better understand his employment opportunities after his university studies, and then explore how that will apply to his degree.
‘A program specifically for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples encourages them to have greater say in what is happening in the community,’ he says.
Earlier this week [13 February] saw the 14th anniversary of the National Apology – considered by many as a key step towards reconciliation with Indigenous people.
‘This marks the day Australia really began to acknowledge the pain and suffering of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples,’ Luke says.
‘It also encourages greater acknowledgement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people’s culture and history in communities.’
Barring Djinang is from the Taungurung language and means ‘path of the feet’. It was chosen as a reminder of the many different career paths the Victorian public sector can provide.
The program has 16 initiatives to attract, recruit and retain good staff, including targeted employment programs and career development and support.
The summer program is running for 12 weeks between November 2021 and February 2022.
SRL is a 90km orbital rail line from Cheltenham to Werribee via the Airport – the largest and most complex infrastructure project in Victoria’s history – supporting thousands of local jobs over the coming decades.
That’s a massive pipeline of opportunities for the next generation of Victorians – including Barring Djinang interns such as Luke and Kahlilla.