An innovative new indigenous employment service for Western Sydney is being opened to provide opportunities for first nations’ people.

First Nation Services at AMES Australia is supporting indigenous jobseekers across Western Sydney to find rewarding and sustainable employment. It will provide services in Blacktown, Parramatta, Auburn, Granville, Penrith, Windsor, St Marys, Marylands and Richmond.

AMES Australia CEO Cath Scarth said the new service would capitalise on AMES experience working with indigenous communities in Sydney’s west.

“We are delighted to be launching this service which will engage with indigenous communities and with employers to connect jobseekers with businesses and organisations seeking workers,” Scarth said.

The new service builds on AMES Australia’s extensive experience in providing employment services in Western Sydney, which includes its successful Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mentoring Program.

Hitting the ground running, the new service has already achieved 53 successful job placements.

“We have achieved great results helping indigenous Australians into employment through our mentoring program and we will be building on that,” Scarth added.

AMES Australia Senior Manager Employment Services Ed Dickson has shared that the new service would use a place-based servicing model, where employment services go into communities and service clients in a setting that makes them comfortable.

“We match candidates with employers based on their strengths and experience. We work with them before placement to ensure they are job ready and post-employment to support to become comfortable in the workplace,” Dickson said.