Representatives of Charles Sturt University (CSU) and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) last week signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to facilitate the recruitment of CSU Indigenous students from a range of disciplines to the ABC.

 

The MoU, known as the ABC-CSU Indigenous Recruitment Pathways Partnership Pilot, sees the parties agree to work together on a non-exclusive basis to encourage Indigenous students to complete tertiary study and become eligible for employment in key areas within the ABC.

 

The Vice-Chancellor and President of CSU, Professor Andrew Vann, said, “I’m delighted to be signing this MoU. It will help both organisations achieve our strategies to increase Indigenous representation in our study and employment. This includes encouraging completion of primary and secondary school so that more Indigenous students will enter higher education. Practical initiatives will see ABC and CSU staff work together in areas including CSU student outreach visits to schools, CSU Indigenous careers and higher education pathway programs, CSU degree courses designed for and targeted to Indigenous cohorts, and ABC-DEEWR Indigenous internships and ABC Indigenous recruitment initiatives.”

 

The CSU acting Dean of Students, Professor Julia Coyle, said, “This is a very exciting partnership that should provide positive outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people by fostering aspiration, participation and success through outreach programs to schools, special opportunities and support for students, and employment opportunities. The ABC-CSU partnership will be applied across CSU’s four faculties (Arts, Business, Education, and Science), and has potential to increase Indigenous employment in disciplines such as accounting, human resources, information technology (IT), IT Games development, educational design, media production, journalism, graphic design, marketing, production management, and legal-copyright.”

 

Ms Heather Forbes, manager of ABC News staff development and policy, and ABC Bonner Committee member, signed the MoU on behalf of the ABC. She said, “The commitment by ABC and Charles Sturt University to work together to provide educational and employment  opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is an exciting new partnership, and an appropriate one to formalise in Reconciliation Week."