APPLICATIONS have opened for an Australian Taxation Office (ATO) initiative that is specifically seeking to employ Aboriginal and\/or Torres Strait Islander people in Geelong.<\/p>\n
The Evergreen Program, which is being rolled out in eight ATO offices across Australia, is an opportunity for Aboriginal and\/or Torres Strait Islander peoples to launch a career with the ATO that has on-the-job training, support, and the offer of an ongoing position at the end of the program.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Evergreen Program offers a career pathway for Aboriginal and\/or Torres Strait Islander people who want to gain valuable work experience, build professional capabilities, and learn new skills,\u201d ATO Indigenous champion deputy commissioner Matthew Hay said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt opens the door for you to take charge of your career while doing meaningful work in a supportive environment.\u201d<\/p>\n
The program offers many benefits, including a competitive starting salary package of more than $66,868 ($57,945 plus 15.4 per cent super), structured on-the-job and corporate training, certified training, and a workplace that is inclusive, supportive, professional and promotes equal opportunities.<\/p>\n
On successful completion of the program, participants will have a permanent job, a formal qualification, and an advancement of their salary package to more than $75,712 ($65,609 plus 15.4 per cent super).<\/p>\n
\u201cThe ATO is a big organisation that offers big opportunities for your career, and can help make a difference to their community,\u201d Mr Hay said.<\/p>\n
Penrith\u2019s Shakeela Williams is a former participant in the Evergreen Program.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a teenager living in a small Aboriginal community in regional NSW, I dreamt of something more, something bigger for my life, outside of country living,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t think that getting my foot in the door at an organisation like the ATO was possible without attending higher education. However, the Evergreen Program has proved me wrong.<\/p>\n
\u201cA pathway to a career in the public sector, experiencing two different rotations in separate sections of the ATO, as well as studying a certificate IV in Project Management, it has given me great exposure to the opportunities that lie within.\u201d<\/p>\n
The ATO says its ideal Evergreen candidate:<\/p>\n