Recognition of the Skills and Knowledge of Indigenous Employees

This chapter works towards recognising Indigenous employees as part of the Australian rail workforce and bringing attention to the skills and knowledge Indigenous Australians continue to contribute to the Australian rail industry. It draws on findings from interviews with rail industry employees and employers in corporate, operational and infrastructure roles in small, medium and large sized rail organisations across Australia. These interviews were carried out as part of a project on skills recognition in the rail industry funded by the Cooperative Research Centre for Rail Innovation. The chapter analyses how predominantly non-Indigenous employees and employers in the rail industry perceive equity and Indigenous capability, and the implications of such perceptions for recognising the skills and knowledge of Indigenous employees. It identifies a number of ‘problems’ with recognising the skills and knowledge of Indigenous employees. The analysis is informed by a historical examination of the views and actions of non-Indigenous ‘settlers’ towards Indigenous Australians, and consideration of how learning from history can assist us with understanding more equitable approaches to engagement among Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians today.