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On 1 December, National Australia Bank's first Reconciliation Action Plan was launched by The Hon. Kevin Rudd MP, Prime Minister of Australia. This plan is a commitment to lift our focus on and involvement with Indigenous Australians.
NAB believes in helping build strong, sustainable and more inclusive communities. The aim of this action plan is to lift our focus on and involvement with Indigenous Australians. We aim to do this in a way that builds on what a financial services organisation can bring to address areas of disadvantage. These are:
- Improved access to financial products and services;
- Deliver valuable, long-lasting employment opportunities;
- Build a greater organisational understanding of Indigenous Australians, their culture and aspirations.
Prime Minister Rudd launches NAB’s Reconciliation Action Plan
Gurrumul Yunupingu gave a special performance at the launch
Cameron Clyne, CEO designate, Michael Chaney AO Chairman, Minister Macklin, Prime Minister Rudd, Gurrumul Yunupingu and Michael Hohnen at NAB’s Reconciliation Action Plan Launch
More information
NAB supports several programs focussed on supporting Indigenous Australians. These are featured below.
NAB helping Traditional Credit Union expand services
As part of NAB's aim to improve access to fair and affordable financial services in Australia, NAB is providing Traditional Credit Union Limited (TCU) with interest free loans of up to $1 million (with no fees or charges). These funds will be used to open branches in remote locations in the Northern Territory, providing access to financial services for more than 3,250 Indigenous customers in the next five years.
In addition, NAB has created a grant, to the value of $200,000 for TCU to fund activities as the new branches are opened such as advertising, legal costs, development of brochures and website upgrades.
NAB will also provide TCU customers with access to NAB's microfinance programs including the NAB Microenterprise Loan program and NILS (No Interest Loans Scheme) capital.
NAB and TCU are also developing efficiency programs to help lower the costs of some of TCU's back room processes and operations as well as investigating volunteering opportunities and secondments for NAB employees to work with TCU and vice versa.
More information
Indigenous education and employment
Our focus is on providing development opportunities for Indigenous Australians with mentoring and cultural support. The aim is to provide the right environment and support for each student to be successful, help them build self-esteem, fulfil their potential and achieve their personal aspirations.
AES and NAB
Through the Aboriginal Employment Strategy (AES), NAB is offering student-based traineeships for students in Years 10 - 12 through our Retail network in New South Wales.
The traineeships provide work experience and education support over a two-year program. With the AES, NAB also supports the Indigenous Graduate Strategy - the first program of its kind in the finance sector. The aim is to develop a pathway for career opportunities with NAB where applicants are appointed on merit.
Indigenous Scholarships and Cadetships
In conjunction with the Melbourne Business School, NAB provides an Indigenous scholarship.
The NAB MBA scholarship enables Indigenous Australians with a track record of leadership in entrepreneurial, community, business, artistic and/or sporting activities to fulfil their personal and professional potential. It provides financial assistance with tuition fees, books and living expenses while completing the MBA.
A similar scholarship is in place at Charles Darwin University to support an Indigenous student completing a business-related degree.
In addition, in partnership with Group Training Northern Territory, NAB has developed finance apprenticeships. The first two apprentices began working with NAB in January 2008.
More information
Building Indigenous business capacity within the Torres Strait
NAB is working with the Queensland Government and the Torres Strait Regional Authority (TSRA) Community Business Hub to assist the development of local business initiatives.
Beginning in 2005 and running annually, four to six NAB employees embark on a three to four-week placement in the Torres Strait. As well as providing business expertise to the people of the Torres Strait, this is a great development opportunity for the employees as it offers them a better insight into the challenges faced by Indigenous communities.
More information:
Read the media release.
Yachad Accelerated Learning Project
NAB is involved in a range of initiatives that help to build social capital and empower local communities, including The Yachad Accelerated Learning Project.
YALP is a three-year educational intervention program aimed at raising the scholastic achievements of students in remote and rural locations in Australia, particularly Indigenous students.
The program is based on whole of community educational approaches developed by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. YALP is working in consultation and cooperation with schools, parents, Indigenous elders and community organisations in five locations: Alice Springs (NT), Aurukun (QLD), Halls Creek (WA), North Adelaide (SA) and Shepparton (VIC).
As a partner of YALP since 2005, NAB is committed to helping young people in these rural and remote locations.
More information
For more information visit the YALP website.
National Indigenous Money Management Agenda
As a member of the Indigenous Banking Reference Group, NAB has helped to establish a network of experts in the area of financial literacy and retail banking. This network will also continue to address issues identified by the National Indigenous Money Management Agenda (NIMMA) project.
The intended outcome of this network is to involve government and the financial sector to contribute towards improving the lives of Indigenous people through working with them to enhance money management skills and provide access to appropriate financial services and products.
To ensure Indigenous people can raise issues and provide feedback, an Indigenous Advisory Group has been established to work with the expert network.
More information
Visit the Projects pages on the Reconciliation Australia website.
Working with Tangentyere Council
As part of NAB's Accelerate program - a 12 month program for NAB senior leaders, NAB has partnered with Tangentyere Council in Alice Springs. As part of the program, leaders spend a day in the life of a Tangentyere manager, getting an insight into their world.
Tangentyere Council was established in the 1970's to assist Aboriginal people living in and around Alice Springs to gain some form of legal tenure of the land they were living on, in order to obtain essential services and housing. Eighteen town camps form the membership of Tangentyere Council with the council managing 198 houses for approximately 1,600 to 2,000 residents.
Each Town Camp comprises a largely distinct Indigenous community based on language and kinship groups, however the majority of camps have Arrente residents who are the traditional owners of Alice Springs and its immediate surrounds.
Provision and facilitation of services is managed by Tangentyere Council enabling Town Camp residents to have access to services which they would otherwise miss out on. Tangentyere also provides some services to remote communities such as Remote Area Night Patrols, Inhalant Substance and Youth initiatives.
While there is no specific outcome to this experience, participants tend to give something back in terms of their time, expertise or charitable donation.
Welcome to Country
Welcome to Country is a personal awareness and social education program primarily aimed at NAB's people leaders.
The program can help our people gain insights into how the experiences and history of different groups of people can lead to different perspectives, values and capabilities. It does this by exposing the participants to leaders and members of Indigenous communities in rural Australia, allowing them to hear their stories, ask questions and gain a deeper understanding that could not be obtained from reading or participation in more conventional training.
More information
Visit the Welcome to Country website.
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