WA's northern pastoral industry hopes a new partnership formed with traditional owners and the state government will help fill major gaps in the sector's workforce.
The Aboriginal Pastoral Academy program was started by the Yawuru native title holders in Broome, to train school leavers to work on cattle stations.
It's now being expanded to include a formal collaboration between the Kimberley Pilbara Cattlemen's Association (KPCA), Nyamba Buru Yawuru, and the WA government, with hopes it will create more job pathways for young people.
The partnership comes at a time when pastoralists have struggled to attract and retain workers amid a nationwide worker shortage.
'Important step': Pastoral industry
KPCA chairman Jak Andrews said the new arrangement was an "important step" for alleviating current workforce pressures.
"There's an appetite from all parties for this to work together where perhaps previously there's been appetite from one party, but the collaboration hasn't been in place."
The Aboriginal Pastoral Academy program will collaborate with Nyamba Buru Yawuru's Warrmijala Murrgurlayi Rise up to Work program to improve links between pre-employment and vocational training.
It is the first time the KPCA has been involved in the program and will employ a dedicated state-funded coordinator to develop career pathways for participants.
Creating opportunities
Pastoralists will work with training providers and school-based programs, with further links to refresher courses, mentoring, and workplace placements also available.
"There is massive potential for industries up here to have long-term staff … that want to live up here," Mr Andrews said.
"A lot of our staff can be quite transient and almost gap years where they come for a year or two and then they go south to the family farm.
Mutual respect
Carol-Anne Bernard is the program coordinator for youth training and employment at Nyamba Buru Yawuru.
Ms Bernard had overseen the pre-employment training of 15 graduates this year and said she was "over the moon" to see the new partnership formed.
"I'm just ecstatic to see us in a position … to be able to deliver something that we know is true to Yawuru values and that is supporting Indigenous people to feel comfortable with transitioning into the industry," she said.
"The pastoralists have been looking at what they can do, the engagement with KPCA and the stations that are part of it have been open and accepting of what we're trying to do and wanting to work with us.
"It's a real credit to them … we can create all the training we want but they create the outcomes for these young people to come into.
More than 'just a job'
Nyamba Buru Yawuru chief executive officer Nini Mills said the partnership was a "major milestone", particularly given the organisation took over operations at Roebuck Plains Station earlier this year.
"When we consider in the minds of these young people what that level of opportunity does, and the connection that fosters, as part of our collective responsibilities, it's really exciting," she said.
"It's also about the sustainability of our culture, environment and community."
