When Scott Fogarty was a child, he dreamed of being a translator. Now, he is using his voice to advocate for positive change as Senior Adviser, Inclusion and Diversity for Aboriginal Programs at Suburban Rail Loop Authority (SRLA).
A proud Bidjara man whose people are from Barcaldine in central-west Queensland, Scott grew up in Brisbane before swapping sunny skies for Melbourne’s unpredictable weather in 2018.
Starting out his career as a social worker, Scott says he fell into human resources after accepting a secondment opportunity to manage Aboriginal employment programs – which quickly became a passion.
Now working on Suburban Rail Loop (SRL), Scott plays an important role in helping deliver programs to support pathways into employment for Aboriginal people.
His role includes building understanding across the organisation of the needs of Aboriginal staff to set them up for success, and providing cultural guidance through decision making.
Since joining SRLA in November 2022, Scott has already made a significant impact.
Set to graduate with a Master of Human Resource Management at the end of this year, Scott has also been awarded the Indigenous Student Academic Achievement Award from RMIT University, recognising his excellence in business and law.
Construction of SRL East between Cheltenham and Box Hill is well underway, with almost 12,000 hours worked to June 2023 by Indigenous Victorians. During this first phase of works, around 14% of total hours is being undertaken by apprentices, trainees or cadets, with opportunities for women, Aboriginal and disadvantaged Victorians.
With highly skilled people like Scott on board, SRLA is creating a culturally safe workplace for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to thrive.