Skip links and keyboard navigation

Case studies

Building cultural safety, capability and advancing First Nations employee careers

The challenge of building cultural capability across Queensland’s largest workforce, and addressing under representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees in leadership and decision-making roles, is being addressed through a unique service.

Designed using a human-centred approach, the award-winning Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander career pathways service is achieving great success—and supports over 300 employees, across 30 Queensland Government agencies.

The service works at an individual level, directly supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees by facilitating access to cross-agency learning and capability development, job and mobility opportunities, mentoring and networking events.

The career pathways service also works at a system level to break down silos, create culturally safe workplaces and build a culturally capable public sector.

Working closely with supervisors of First Nations participants and agency representatives, and by providing cultural capability resources, mentors, and development opportunities sector-wide cultural capability and cultural safety is improving.

Perceptions of cultural safety improved notably between 2022 and 2023 for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples with almost two-thirds of this cohort reporting they feel culturally safe at work

Source: Working for Queensland 2023.

My family and friends love and support me for who I am. I am proud of who I am, but every time I see my wrong name, I feel a shock and I flinch. It’s wrong. It’s not who I am. It’s not who I ever was… I am female. I want to be seen for who I am and who I always have been—just like all the other girls. Please make this change to help me and the other young trans people like me who have less support. Help us to just be ourselves.

Source: Transcend Australia, public hearing submission (views of a young trans girl).

When Lucas* was in care, his CSO worked hard to support his needs, including enabling and supervising family contact, organising his health assessments and NDIS support, and helping him with important things like getting photo ID, a bank account and Centrelink payments.

The CSO worked with Lucas to schedule family contact time and accommodate all his favourite activities, including playing and watching sport and hanging out with friends.

Lucas' CSO and care team were immensely proud when they learned he had been appointed school captain for his final year of school!

Lucas is now a young adult and having finished school, has secured a job that he loves. Although his CSO and care team miss him greatly, they know he remains well and is thriving, supported by his NDIS team and former foster carer.

*Not his real name.

While the number of employees who were comfortable having conversations with their manager about disability increased from 48% to 54% between 2022 and 2023, many employees with disability (23%) still perceive disability is a barrier to success in the public sector.

Source: Working for Queensland 2023.