GenerationOne Blog - GenerationOne News




Andrew Forrest - Read Andrew's speech from last weeks Address to the National Press Club Canberra

 Good day, Mr Chairman, ladies and gentlemen, and special guests In recognising Elders across Australia, past and present, and in particular, the Ngunawal and Ngambri people of this place, I want to draw your attention to a great Elder of mine.  He was known across his vast, red Yamaji lands as the senior Law man and his name in Yamaji was Elleewana. The son of a fine Scots man and a proud Australian black woman, he earned his name - Scotty Black.  He was wise, strong, agile and proud.  The gentle timbre of his voice resonated with unquestioned authority.  As a child, he was everything I admired in a man. While carrying out the traditions and customs of his people as a senior Law man, he carried another responsibility.  For more than thirty years, he was He... More...

08 May @ 03:42Add your comment


Warren Mundine to lead GenerationOne Indigenous employment push

Indigenous leader Warren Mundine has been recruited to lead the GenerationOne campaign which aims to end the disparity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians in one generation.  GenerationOne founder Andrew Forrest welcomed Mr Mundine who will replace outgoing CEO Tim Gartrell in June.  "Warren is an outstanding Indigenous leader who believes strongly in the power of employment as the best way to rid Indigenous communities of welfare dependency and end the disparity. Warren's first task is to hold the Federal Government to its 2008 promise to provide the training necessary to deliver jobs committed under the 50,000 jobs campaign," Mr Forrest said   ... More...

03 May @ 09:18Add your comment

10,000 Indigenous jobs filled under Australian Employment Covenant

April 30, 2012 10,000 Indigenous jobs filled under Australian Employment Covenant   The Australian Employment Covenant (“AEC”) reached a major milestone, celebrating the filling of 10,000 Covenant jobs with indigenous employees. New figures from employers who signed with the AEC have revealed 10,501 indigenous Australians are now off welfare and working. The ’50,000 jobs campaign’ is an employer-led initiative that brings all Australians together to break the vicious cycle of unemployment, hopelessness and poverty that exists among too many Indigenous Australians. Australian Employment Covenant founder Mr Andrew Forrest said 330 employers throughout Australia had committed to over 61,000 employment opportunities for Indigenous Australians – 10,000 m... More...

30 April @ 12:59Add your comment

Indigenous businesses: Open for Business

In the foyer of the Hilton Hotel, in the bustling centre of Sydney, a group of people gathered from all over Australia, ready to build relationships, network, and ultimately, do business.  ‘Open for business’ was the theme of the Connect 2012 Australian Indigenous Minority Supplier Council (AIMSC) annual tradeshow and conference.  Connect 2012, brings the rapidly growing group of AIMSC Members and Certified Suppliers together.   Since AIMSC started in 2010 the council has grown to 142 corporate and government members and 128 certified suppliers.  The total business activity has equated to over $44,000 million.    ... More...

05 April @ 02:40Add your comment

Call for Indigenous jobs plan in budget

BY:
PATRICIA KARVELAS The Australian March 24, 2012 12:00AM JULIA Gillard must overhaul her indigenous jobs strategy in the May budget or risk failing to reach her Closing The Gap targets, former young Australian of the Year and GenerationOne spokesperson Tania Major said yesterday. Ms Major said indigenous people needed to be found a job first, and training should be provided afterwards or they would languish on welfare because of a broken system.  ... More...

29 March @ 03:07Add your comment

CLOSING THE GAP - Jeremy Donovan

On March 8 2012 my wife and I were blessed by the birth of our second daughter and fourth and final child, ‘Jakarri June Donovan’. Jakarri was born at Nambour Public Hospital, on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.   Jakarri is our fourth child, we had a certain level of awareness around the procedures of birth, but nothing could of prepared us for some of the trauma and fear that would soon come.  After some difficulties during an extremely fast labour, my wife and Jakarri returned to the maternity ward.  I went home to gather the family who had patiently been waiting with anticipation on the arrival of their newest sibling.   ... More...

22 March @ 09:23Add your comment

Programmed for Change

At just 16, burdened with family problems, Stephen Thorpe was living alone in Adelaide. For a while he tried to navigate the complications of running a household alongside his school studies. The pressure mounted and Stephen eventually dropped out of school, beginning what he describes as a cycle of poor choices and missed opportunities. It was only in the middle of last year, when a friend suggested he take a look at the Australian Employment Covenant (AEC) website that he found something that sparked an interest; a traineeship with Programmed.  “I was very nervous going for the interview. So, when I got the position I was ecstatic. I really felt it was an opportunity to turn my life around,” Stephen enthused.  ... More...

21 March @ 10:16Add your comment

Two years on with GenerationOne

Two years on, GenerationOne has grown to a movement of over 230,000 people.  Australians from all walks of life have got on-board the movement to end the disparity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians in one generation.  After GenerationOne launched in March 2010 at the Sydney Opera House, it embarked on a road show, of communities across Australia.   The GenerationOne bus visited over 80 communities all over the country, listening to people about what changes they wanted to see.  Overwhelmingly the most important thing that we heard from people and their communities all over Australia was the need for jobs and long-term careers.   More importantly, people told us they don’t want anymore undirected training that doesn’t lead to... More...

19 March @ 03:39Add your comment

GenerationOne Celebrates 2nd Birthday

Two Years on with GenerationOne GenerationOne celebrates 2nd Birthday In March 2010, GenerationOne launched into a national campaign to end the disparity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians through employment in one generation.  Through consultation, research and policy GenerationOne has been able to contribute to the national conversation on Indigenous employment.   ... More...

19 March @ 02:06Add your comment

Building Resilient Communities - Jeremy Donovan

On Wednesday 7th March 2012, I was invited to be the Keynote Speaker at a conference for Queensland Youth Industry Links (QYIL). The conference took place at the Sunshine Coast University’s state of the art 'Innovation Centre'.  The conference was focused on bringing people together from across the fields of youth engagement, education and employment.   ... More...

19 March @ 09:36Add your comment