Nick Xenophon (SA, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is my very great honour to speak in support of a proud South Australian company tonight. Doherty Trade Services is a second-generation family owned company that has been operating in South Australia for over 23 years, offering trade and maintenance services for industry.

Recently, Doherty's won a major maintenance contract with the South Australian government to provide maintenance to between 18,000 and 20,000 properties, including Housing SA properties, around metropolitan Adelaide for the next eight years. The contract will enable Doherty's to employ between 120 and 150 apprentices in trades such as plumbing, electrical, carpentry, tiling and painting. Doherty's has taken the opportunity provided by this contract to put something back into the community.

They are planning to offer apprenticeships and traineeships aimed at people who might not otherwise have the opportunity, so that employment pathways can be opened for people with a disability, people on low income and people who have become disengaged. Fifty per cent of the program's outcomes will be targeted to regional areas. Doherty's will also be focusing on creating employment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, so that individuals can gain knowledge and experience that they can then take back to their communities. That is unambiguously a very good thing.

Doherty's has also gained support from the South Australian Department of Further Education, Employment, Science and Technology and the Aboriginal Apprenticeship Program in their application to become an Indigenous employment provider—or IEP—for the Skills for Life project. No other program offers the complete pathway from training through to employment that has been proposed by Doherty's. They need to be congratulated for that.

Existing Doherty's workers—such as Mr Ricky Morris, who is the current project manager for Indigenous employment—act as mentors and supervisors for the trainees and apprentices. Almost 150 tradespeople directly employed by Doherty's are also willing to share their knowledge and experience with the next generation of tradespeople. Mr Dean Wanganeen is an Indigenous employee of Doherty's who assists Ricky Morris in coordinating the IEP. I was lucky enough to meet them last week. Mr Craig Rigney—CEO of Kornar Winmil Yunti, a not-for-profit Aboriginal men's health service—is also supporting Doherty's in their initiative.

Mr Rigney has said the importance of what Doherty's is trying to achieve cannot be underestimated. He said:

This program gives the Aboriginal participants a sense of pride, and control over their own futures.

Isn't that simply wonderful? He goes on to say:

It's creating the leaders of the future. These kids might be the first ones in their families to finish high school or to go into a trade, so they become role models for their communities. Doherty's has really gone above and beyond in terms of their social conscience. Having a private enterprise work with us is fundamental in supporting and growing Aboriginal business, which in turn benefits the Aboriginal community through the services we can provide.

Doherty's are also establishing partnerships with government agencies, including DFEEST and Skills Connect; group training organisations, including PEER VEET, Alliance People Solutions and Complete Personnel; and technical college ATEC, to develop a proposed training scheme to undertake an enhanced training program over the contract period, allowing for additional apprentices to be trained in a shorter period of time. I think that is innovative and it will mean more people can be trained in a shorter period of time.

Doherty's will also be providing a scholarship based program to individuals who would not be normally able to achieve an apprenticeship. The scholarship will be a monetary gift distributed over a 24-month period that will line up with the first and second years of their apprenticeship. It will be granted on the successful completion of training modules within their training plan.

But Doherty's is not resting on their laurels. They are still looking for ways to partner with existing organisations and agencies to provide more employment opportunities, particularly for Indigenous Australians. One project that is still in the very early stages involves Doherty's looking at ways to send a group of apprentices overseas every two years to places such as Papua New Guinea. Apprentices would work on a project in a remote community for up to six weeks, gaining both work and life experience.

Since Doherty's commenced their contract with the SA government on 1 October last year, it has begun the first pre-employment program with 10 Indigenous students who will spend several months building life skills. The students will also complete a certificate II in construction and work experience with a Doherty's tradesperson in their field. Doherty's has also commenced working with the Department of Further Education, Employment, Science and Technology to run a pre-employment program for 20 disengaged, disadvantaged, out-of-trade apprentices or school leavers with a recognised GTO—government training organisation—and job service providers this month, with two apprenticeships on offer.

They have also employed the following Indigenous employees under these categories: four qualified carpenters, four first-year carpentry apprentices, two first-year plumbing apprentices, one first-year electrical apprentice, one third-year electrical apprentice, one first-year roof-plumbing apprentice and one first-year painting apprentice. They have also employed two qualified carpenters with hearing impairments, in addition to hosting seven Indigenous students, two technical college students, one disabled student and two disadvantaged students for work experience.

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate managing director Terry Doherty, business manager Alix Doherty and her husband, operations manager Patrick Gluyas, who have taken a wonderful opportunity for their business and turned it into a wonderful opportunity for others. Karyn Perry, the recruitment and training co-ordinator for Doherty's, also deserves special mention for drawing all of the elements of the program together and making it happen.

When I met with Doherty Trade Services just last week, I was impressed with their commitment, their passion and their competence in implementing this innovative program. As Karyn Perry said, 'It's great to give opportunities to those who want the chance, who wouldn't otherwise get the opportunity.' We all know that unemployment is a serious issue with long-term, deep impacts on our society. It is one thing to know that it is a problem but it is another thing to act on it—and that is what Doherty's is doing.

Doherty's has also set an excellent example of value adding where government spending is concerned. Governments should take note of this example and focus spending where there will be the greatest return to the community. I think that what Doherty Trade Services is doing should set a benchmark for other companies and, in fact, we need to consider having requirements built into our government tendering processes at all levels of government. That is something that I will be raising with the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Senator Nigel Scullion, who I know is passionate about Indigenous employment and building those opportunities and community capacity.

I am looking forward to supporting Terry, Alix, Patrick, Karyn, their team and all their employees as this program continues. I would just like to finish off with the words of Martin Luther King Jr, who said:

All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.