Sharing knowledge with the next generation of employees

Photo: James Torres outside of the Urapuntja office.

An influx of new employees is helping maintain 15 homeland communities throughout Utopia in the Northern Territory thanks to jobs funded through the Remote Jobs and Economic Development (RJED) program.

Urapuntja Aboriginal Corporation is working closely with the local Remote Australia Employment Service (RAES) provider, Rainbow Gateway to help fill the RJED funded positions.

Alyawarr man James Torres is helping to train the 18 new employees on various maintenance skills and tracks the equipment they might need to carry out jobs such as whipper snippers, wheelbarrows and chainsaws.

His days take him from one homeland community to another – sometimes resulting in a round trip of 300km through Utopia so he can oversee maintenance works, share his skills and help younger colleagues start their careers.

James’ supervisor role is also funded through the RJED program and is much needed now there are more people working in the homeland maintenance officer positions to help identify, notify and address property maintenance needs.

“It brings more pride to them to be sorting out their own homelands,” he says. “They want to learn lots of different skills and be more self-sufficient.”

The team visit each homeland to assess what needs to be done to fix up any buildings, structures or see to small plumbing jobs and basic maintenance on tractors and generators to keep the communities running smoothly.

“It’s a bit of everything really. Just a wide variety which is what's needed out here. You don’t need to be a master at anything but you need to know a bit about everything.”

James has been living in the community for about 10 years after spending time working and living in Brisbane and Adelaide.

“I'm also finding out about my own family since I've come back because I lost that family connection.

“This is all my family. This is all my people. It's my roots. So I was very keen to get in an try to bring a local perspective to the to the problems out here with the skills I've already got.”

James says he values being able to help teach the employees and share his experience.

“If I can teach them how to do certain types of maintenance that’s always a boost for myself as well to be passing on knowledge and to just have that sense of pride. I can see in them when they get a job done.”

James has extensive experience in bush work, maintenance, and leadership roles, having worked in similar positions for nearly 40 years, including at the Urapuntja Health Service Aboriginal Corporation. He’s keen to mentor more young leaders in the community.

“Getting young, shy people to become team leaders and you know, leaders in their community, leaders for their families – that’s what I'm all about.”

Urapuntja Aboriginal Corporation CEO Jim Stacey says James’ role is vital in helping to share the load of supervisor responsibilities with an increased number of employees and the large geographic area they need to cover.

James also has future plans to create ‘flying squads’ of qualified tradies who can head out to communities to work on larger jobs like refurbishing houses and buildings.

Urapuntja Aboriginal Corporation is also funded for another 18 positions including homelands officers, drivers and arts workers. These roles will complement existing jobs created under the New Jobs Program Trial.

Find out more about the RJED program at www.niaa.gov.au/remote-jobs.

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Photo: James Torres and Karl Walter (Works Manager) inspecting community-based tractor. These tractors were funded under the RJED program and have been a boon for making the field staff more productive in their respective homelands

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Photo: James Torres and Karl Walter (Works Manager) inspecting new excavator. A major focus this year will be training RJED employees in various skills including plant operation.