Our Vision for Reconciliation

Sureway’s vision for reconciliation is for all Australians to come together to achieve a socially inclusive community through acknowledgement and respect of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and to respect, value, and celebrate their continued connection to Country, community, culture, family, language and knowledge.

We are committed to building respectful relationships and creating equal opportunities throughout our organisation by understanding and building awareness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures within our organisation where histories, knowledge and connections to Country are valued and celebrated.

Sureway’s RAP will improve our ability to support and serve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, improve the quality of our services, and promote positive change through the five dimensions of reconciliation.

Sureway delivers employment, training and health support services to Australian communities that support reconciliation through:

• Promoting positive two-way relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous peoples.
• Providing opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to participate equally and equitably.
• Actively including reconciliation in our business and program structures.
• Respecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and rights.
• Acknowledging the past through education and understanding.

Sureway aims to do this by:

• Respecting and building mutually beneficial relationships with local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and organisations in the communities where we operate.
• Building on our organisational setting where staff can develop a strong understanding and appreciation of the histories, cultures and issues affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
• Supporting access to employment, health support and training opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Our RAP

The Internal RAP working group comprises staff from across Operations, People and Culture, Marketing, Risk Audit and Compliance and includes Executive sponsorship from the General Manager Corporate Services (GMCS), our RAP Champion. Our RAP Working Group includes three First Nations colleagues from different language or custodial groups across our footprint. Through a series of workshops, the group encourages discussion and consultation from the Sureway Executive Team.

The RAP is built around yearly goals, with some longer-term initiatives that will run through to 2026. It aims to expand on earlier initiatives to strengthen our ties with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and give us the chance to duplicate successful parts of our organisation across other areas. Working with schools, education and training providers, employment services providers, and community organisations to offer pre-employment training to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are just a few of our previous initiatives and relationships that will continue to shape our business.

What we have learnt:

• Bridging cultural engagement both within our organisation and with external partners can be improved by establishing a First Nations Programs Officer position to develop strategic relationships with Custodian groups and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations to enhance cultural capability and execute Sureway’s First Nations Strategic Initiatives.

• The value of culturally safe workplaces, and the link to the attraction and retention of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in our organisation, Sureway sought to roll out Cultural Awareness training to existing staff and to new employees through our onboarding training package to engage staff in reconciliation. By changing attitudes, we change the way people think about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, leading to greater respect for one another, building a more respective and cohesive organisation.
• To promote and show awareness to the broader community that Sureway is committed to taking this journey towards reconciliation via extending our corporate wardrobe and shopfront signage to include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artwork.