• New role in an Aboriginal corporation
• APY Lands-based
• Base salary (inc leave loading) $74,749k pa plus super, 6 wks A/L and accommodation in the APY Lands

PYEC Aboriginal Corporation (PYEC) is looking for someone experienced in supporting and mentoring Indigenous Australians to apply for the newly created role of Employment Support Officer in the APY Lands. This person will provide on-the-job training and be a guide, coach and mentor to local Anangu staff working in remote communities.

About the Organisation:

The Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Education Committee Aboriginal Corporation (PYEC) is an Anangu-run organisation that leads the strategy for education of Anangu in the APY Lands. PYEC provides leadership to ensure that children and young people receive quality education and support in order to be successful in both Anangu and Piranpa ways. PYEC has a close relationship with the SA Department for Education.

The APY Lands cover an area in excess of 100,000 square kilometres in northern South Australia and are extremely remote, with the nearest major town being five to six hours away in Alice Springs. The resident population is estimated to be 2,500 people spread across a number of communities and homelands. Predominant languages spoken are Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara, as well as varying levels of English.

In an exciting new venture for PYEC, we have been funded by the National Indigenous Australians Agency to deliver the Remote School Attendance Strategy (RSAS) in selected communities in the APY Lands.

To deliver this program, PYEC has developed Nganampa Education Tjitji Tjutaku (NETT) - Kunpuntjaku. NETT Kunpuntjaku is designed to work with families, schools and communities to encourage more kids to go to school each and every day.

About the Role:

The Employment Support Officer will work closely and sensitively with PYEC management and team members and be a guide, coach and mentor for PYEC employees working in remote communities across the APY Lands. The role focuses on encouraging and developing skills and resilience within the NETT team so that they can help build community strategies and capacity as well as coaching, mentoring, and developing staff so they can help empower families to be the centre of their children’s education.

The objectives of the Employment Support Officer’s role include:

• Establishing individual employment and training plans
• Identifying strengths and barriers to consistently attending and performing work duties
• Support each person to overcome those barriers with training in workskills
• Provide referrals to support organisations to overcome non-vocational barriers
• Provide on-the-job training to PYEC staff
• Develop and deliver literacy, numeracy, digital literacy and workplace wellness programs and training for staff

About You:

To succeed in this role, you will be an experienced workplace trainer, coach or mentor with sound knowledge of Indigenous issues in and affecting remote communities. You will have previous experience in and knowledge of delivery of literacy and numeracy programs and ability to develop and deliver on-the-job training for staff. You will have the ability to foster and maintain relationships with Indigenous community members and the ability to assist people under stress, either one-to-one or in a group.

While tertiary qualifications are valued they are not essential for candidates with appropriate knowledge and experience. You will have demonstrated organisational skills, the ability to self-manage workloads and experience working in a high volume and demanding environment.

Your interpersonal and communication skills will ensure you work effectively with a broad range of people within and outside the organisation and are able to empower staff. Above all, you will demonstrate honesty, integrity, diplomacy and a sense of fairness.

You will be comfortable living and working in a remote environment in a cross cultural context. You will be required to live and travel extensively in the APY Lands and will need a current driver’s license and 4WD experience. You will be able to get and maintain a working with children check and national criminal history check.

Please refer to the Job Description for more information and the selection criteria required for the role.