Winc welcomes workplace cultural workshops
Employees go online for better understanding of Indigenous business issues.
Winc Australia has expanded its relationship with the Indigenous business community with the launch of Australia’s first universal workplace cultural awareness program that can be undertaken online in under one hour
Evolve Communities, with the support of workplace solutions provider Winc Australia, has created the program that is being rolled out for Winc’s 1600 team members as part of the organisation’s fourth Reconciliation Action Plan to create a better understanding of Indigenous communities.
The program is unique in that it is the first developed to appeal to a range of employee types from senior leaders to those working on the shop floor. It also differs from other solutions in that it is the first training of its kind to have been designed and narrated by an Aboriginal Elder in consultation with a non-Indigenous engagement expert.
The initiative has been described as “a living example of practical reconciliation with Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians working together.”
“Anyone who undertakes this program will be left with a deeper understanding and appreciation of why Indigenous cultural awareness is important and how it impacts daily business,” Aunty Munya Andrews, Aboriginal elder and co-director of Evolve Communities.
“Cultural awareness training is an important step for any organisation serious about contributing to Australia’s reconciliation efforts. We’re delighted to be able to work with Winc to extend our existing cultural training product range with this new offer which fulfils a unique need,” she said.
This new interactive online training program takes 50-55 minutes to complete. Employees can log in and out at any point in time, so it does not need to be completed in one sitting.
Winc Australia CEO Darren Fullerton added: “At Winc, we source, package and deliver everything a workplace needs. In doing so, we support 10 Supply Nation-certified Indigenous SMEs by leveraging the expertise within our business to sell and grow their product offering and their brands. Our work with Evolve Communities is an extension of that.”
Winc has added the cultural awareness training to its eLearning portal and is aiming for 100 per cent completion from its office-based staff, salespeople and warehouse workers.
The training encourages team members to:
The training encourages team members to:
- Develop skills to communicate effectively with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
- Better understand Indigenous cultural diversity
- Increase self-awareness of privilege and unconscious bias
- Know what they can do to make a difference
Companies interested in taking up the new Evolve Communities offer for their employees as part of their own reconciliation efforts can visit www.evolves.com.au
Corporates lengthen the Indigenous supply chain
BHP, Qantas, Lendlease, Westpac and CBA are among major corporations that have pledged to spend more than $3 billion with Indigenous suppliers over the next five years.
The commitment follows the launch in August of the Business Council of Australia’s ‘Raising the Bar’ initiative, announced by the Minister for Indigenous Australians Ken Wyatt.
The companies have pledged to hit a target of three per cent of procurement spending on Indigenous suppliers, starting with a 0.5 per cent target this year reaching three per cent by the fifth year.
Qantas already uses Dreamtime Tuka to supply 600,000 snack slices for its morning and afternoon flights.
CBA has partnered with design agency Gilimbaa and Winya Indigenous Furniture to deliver art and furniture for its new branches while BP is spending $1.2 million with Zenith Interiors for its Perth and Melbourne office refurbishments.
Other corporates to sign up to the pledge include Fortescue Metals, BP Australia, Australian Unity, BAE Systems, EY, KPMG, McKinsey and Microsoft.
More than 2000 Aboriginal and Torres Straits Islander businesses are currently listed on The Supply Nation directory.
Date Published:
1 October 2019