Indigenous Australians belong to the world’s oldest living culture, and have a long history in the global economy. Yet, despite these credentials, they are disproportionately locked out of today’s economic opportunities and workforces.

Indigenous employment parity in our generation. This is Generation One’s major quest, and it requires over 300,000 more Indigenous Australians to enter employment by 2040.

‘Employment parity’ refers to the proportional representation of Indigenous workers in an industry, be they entrepreneurs, self-employed, or on the payroll of Australia’s biggest employers. However, Generation One’s view of ‘true’ employment parity extends beyond numbers, and also considers factors such as retention, engagement and development, safety, belonging and inclusion, self-determination and leadership.

Underpinning our strategy is the need for an evidence-based approach. Currently, Indigenous employment data is only counted every five years for the ABS Census, leaving Indigenous workers and their experiences largely invisible for the years in between. Too many investment and policy decisions are made from this old, outdated data. To start to address this gap, we created the Indigenous Employment Index.

In 2022, Generation One launched the Woort Koorliny Australian Indigenous Employment Index, the first comprehensive snapshot carried out in Australia that focused on Indigenous workplace representation, practices and employee experiences. This research equips employers with knowledge and evidence to create more opportunities, safer workplaces and more meaningful careers for Indigenous workers. The same data is helping to inform government policymaking and demonstrating the steps employers need to take to drive Indigenous employment parity.

The organisations in the Indigenous Employment Index employ over 700,000 Australians (roughly 5 per cent of the total Australian workforce) and 17,412 Indigenous Australians (roughly 6 per cent of the Indigenous workforce). The Index publications include a national report and individual employer benchmark reports.

Our Indigenous Employment Network now comprises more than 100 large employers and complements the Indigenous Employment Index by bringing together employers committed to employment parity, and supporting them to build capability through peer learning and support, evidence-based guidance, and regular engagement with Indigenous employment leaders.

By providing education, support, data and transparency, we will continue to build the capabilities of Australia’s large employers to drive true Indigenous employment parity.

To support Indigenous businesses and self-employment, we continued the Dream Venture Masterclasses in 2021-22, helping to accelerate the business visions of more than 100 ambitious Indigenous Australian entrepreneurs.

At this year’s Dream Venture Masterclass Showcase in Melbourne, ten Indigenous entrepreneurs shared in AU$150,000 of seed funding. Our alumni are now better equipped with the skills and connections needed to become investor-ready. We are proud to have also partnered with Youth Co:Lab, an initiative co-led by the United Nations Development Programme and Citi Foundation, to support a dedicated Indigenous youth cohort in 2022.

We also embarked on new partnerships in 2022 with local Indigenous communities in New South Wales and Western Australia, to support their leaders and Elders on the journey to parity, and look forward to growing our impact further in FY23.

Generation One also recognises the value of a thriving Indigenous community-controlled sector, and will invest in Indigenous-led employment and training, starting with the creation of a peak body based on consultation, data, and systemic change in 2023.