Advancing reconciliation efforts across our communities in Australia
19 Mar 2025
In early 2024, Intertek formalised its commitment to advancing reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians by receiving endorsement for its Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan (‘RAP’) from Reconciliation Australia.
Reconciliation is about strengthening relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous peoples for the benefit of all Australians. It aims to foster mutual understanding, heal historical injustices and build stronger, more inclusive relationships within and between communities.
Reconciliation Working Group
Under the guidance of Reconciliation Australia, we are laying the foundations for our reconciliation pathway with our RAP. We have established a Reconciliation Working Group of representatives across our Australian business lines and locations. The working group meets fortnightly and works collaboratively to implement our RAP objectives. With more than 1,400 employees across our network in Australia, this allows us to build meaningful relationships with our local communities.
Raising cultural awareness
NAIDOC Week celebrates the rich and diverse cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and is organised by the National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee ('NAIDOC'). To mark the occasion, we hosted customers and members of our extended community at the Intertek Minerals Global Centre of Excellence in Perth, where a guest speaker described the intricacies of Noongar culture from clans across the South West region of Australia.
Building work skills
We are also engaging with WorkSkil Australia, a provider of the Australian Government workforce services, through participation in the Yirra Yaakiny Indigenous employment programme. Each programme invites up to 12 Indigenous jobseekers to attend a two-week skills programme. Employers are then invited to meet with the jobseekers and discuss employment opportunities in their organisation. During 2024, we engaged in three of these programmes, with job offers made to 14 participants.
There is a lot to learn from this ancient culture and, through our Reflect RAP, we are starting our journey to meaningful conversations to allow for knowledge exchange. Our team in Australia is committed to building on the uniquely strong partnerships we have in place and contributing to the five key dimensions of reconciliation: race relations, equality and equity, institutional integrity, unity, and historical acceptance.
We welcome all our customers, partners, suppliers, employees and broader communities to join us on this journey towards reconciliation.
