UQ focuses on Indigenous employment

A passion for finding “real jobs for my people” has led Tracey Pickwick to become The University of Queensland’s new Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Recruitment Coordinator.

Ms Pickwick has previously managed large employment projects for private and government organisations and said she hoped to develop UQ as a corporate leader and employer of choice for Indigenous people over the next three years.

“UQ staff are interested and want to play their part, and that’s where I can come to educate them and say, ‘well this is what you can do’,” she said.

Ms Pickwick is a proud member of the Brisbane Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community: her mother’s heritage is from the Mulunjali tribe (Beaudesert) and father’s heritage is from the Gooreng Gooreng tribe (Bundaberg).

She is the secretary of a new UQ committee overseeing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Employment which includes Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Professor Michael Keniger, Director of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Unit Michael Williams, UQ Senator Dr Mary Mahoney, Director of Human Resources Shard Lorenzo, Equity Office Director Ann Stewart and local Indigenous elders.

She holds a Bachelor of Leisure Management majoring in community development – receiving an acknowledgement award for her achievements from the Governor of Queensland in 2001 – and is planning to pursue an MBA at UQ in the near future.

Based in the University’s HR team, Ms Pickwick said her role enjoyed a strong partnership with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Unit, and that the support she had received since starting in April had been “very positive”.

Some of her initiatives include expanding UQ’s participation in the National Indigenous Cadetship Program, boosting the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander research assistants and mentoring students in their progression to academic positions.

By 2010 the committee’s goal is to raise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff numbers across the University to 3.5% – translating to 106 general and 77 academic ongoing appointments.

“I’m committed and I’ve got a lot of plans,” Ms Pickwick said.

“Education is a key for Indigenous people, and a strategic approach is needed in developing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Employment Policy for UQ which identifies new responsibilities and develops ongoing commitment in this area.”

Ms Pickwick encouraged those interested in finding out more about UQ employment opportunities to contact her at t.pickwick@uq.edu.au.

Media: Ms Pickwick (07 3365 4790, t.pickwick@uq.edu.au) or Cameron Pegg at UQ Communications (07 3365 2049, c.pegg@uq.edu.au)