In 2021, 52 per cent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 15 - 64 were employed nationally but only 32 per cent were employed in regions considered "very remote". Bourke, and several other Western Plains localities fall into this parameter.

The NSW Governments allowed the advertising of "Identified positions" some time ago, meaning an employer may identify that a position is to be filled only by a person with a particular attribute. This might mean an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander applicant, a person with a disability, a person of a particular sex or a person of a particular age.

One such identified role currently up for grabs in the Western Plains is that of an Aboriginal Community Liaison Officer in Brewarrina. There are several other targeted Aboriginal roles in and around Dubbo.

Using Identified positions is just one inroad that has been made to address the inequality of unemployment statistics between the Indigenous population and others.

Now, using AI, CSIRO have just released a new tool that gives powerful insights to support Indigenous representation in the workforce by helping identify areas of misalignment between employers seeking to recruit Indigenous talent and the profile of the Indigenous workforce.

The free on-line platform is called the Indigenous Jobs Map.

Executive Manager of CSIRO’s Indigenous Engagement Office and Indigenous Jobs Map Steering Committee Member, Louisa Warren, said employers seeking Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander candidates can use the insights to develop targeted employment strategies.

“Although identified and cultural capability required roles doubled over the past six years, this demand could be better met through attention to the location and qualifications of Indigenous workers across the nation,” Ms Warren said.

“Targeted strategies could include offering remote work to attract people who would like to stay on Country connected with their community, or creating roles in fields where qualified Indigenous workers are well-represented but demand is lower - fields such as architecture and building, and agriculture and environment.”

 Indigenous focused job posting data is now easily accessible through a new online CSIRO platform. 

The map uses AI and natural language processing to analyse data from all job ads posted on Adzuna Australia between 2016 and 2020, the Australian Bureau of Statistics Census, and training and higher education completions.

An Indigenous-led working group informed the Indigenous Jobs Map, incorporating members’ diverse experiences, knowledge and skills.

CEO and Founder of Indigenous tech consulting service Land on Heart and working group member Lisa Sarago provided advice and expertise on Indigenous recruitment and employment barriers, challenges and successes.

“I believe the Indigenous Jobs Map is the first of its kind,” Ms Sarago said. “An ambitious but necessary project which will hopefully provide the blueprint for other sectors and industries. It will improve access to information on employment and further increase the visibility of employment opportunities for Indigenous students."

The ability to use AI and big data to support organisations’ Reconciliation Action Plan objectives drove the creation of the platform, said lead researcher Dr Claire Mason.

“While the data shows strong growth in demand for Indigenous talent in the market, these postings are concentrated in three sectors and one occupation group – community and personal service workers,” Dr Mason said.

“We also discovered that certain sectors, like arts and recreation, offer well-paid and high-skilled roles for Indigenous workers, but in most industries, Identified job postings were for low-skill and less well-paid roles. To support employment outcomes for Indigenous Australians, high-quality roles with opportunities for development and training need to be offered across a more diverse range of industry sectors.” 

Indigenous focused job postings are now easily accessible through a new online CSIRO platform.