As part of Accor’s Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), a group of 30 hotel general managers from across NSW recently completed their first Indigenous engagement workshop hosted by The Jumbana Group, Australia’s leading non-government Indigenous strategy and design company.
Held at Mercure Kooindah Waters and led by Jumbana founders John and Julia Moriarty, the workshop provided Accor’s hotel managers with important insights into Indigenous history, culture and values. It also provided an opportunity for the general managers to discuss the role that they can play in supporting Indigenous employment and engagement in their respective hotels.
Accor Regional General Manager NSW/ACT, Garth Simmons, says Accor is focused on closing the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians not only through employment but also through building relationships with Indigenous businesses and providing opportunities through education and training.
“It is our aim to ensure that cultural education and awareness training, alongside participation in activities that build a shared pride in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders culture, is made readily available for all Accor employees,” he says.
These education programs include regional workshops held in partnership with various Indigenous organisations across the country, including The Jumbana Group.
“We are proud to take a leadership role and provide initiatives that we know can help foster strong, long-term relationships between Accor and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, built on a foundation of respect,” Simmons says.
“We believe that hospitality is a natural for Indigenous employment. It is our hope that Accor Indigenous initiatives and our commitment to reconciliation will play a role in inspiring young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to join the tourism industry,” he says.
In March 2011, Accor launched the largest and most comprehensive Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) in the Australian hospitality industry in conjunction with Reconciliation Australia, cementing its ongoing commitment to improving Indigenous employment and relations.
Accor has led the way in efforts to build sustainable relationships with Indigenous Australians through its pioneering ‘Indigenous Employment Program’. Established in 2001, the Program has seen over 600 Indigenous Australians employed throughout Accor’s Australian hotel network.