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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Employment Framework 2012 – 2014

Introducing the Framework

The University of Sydney was Australia’s first university and is among the best in the world, and many campuses stand on the ancestral lands of Australia’s First Peoples; the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Sydney respects our responsibilities to Australia's past, present and future. We are committed to enhancing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education, research and engagement to provide a strong foundation for our uniquely Australian University.

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Employment Framework expresses the principles and objectives that underpin initiatives, aligned with the University’s Integrated Strategy 2012-2014, that seek to develop a diverse but unified workforce with improved access for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to high quality employment and career development opportunities at all levels of the University.

The Framework supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people pursuing their own interests rather than being directed into careers that require an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander specific workforce. Effectively, under the principles of self-determination, this framework invites Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to be proactive in determining their own career pathway and future by making their own decisions about their employment and progression.

To achieve these aims, The University of Sydney will capitalise on its unique position as both an educator and employer of choice to engage the wider Aboriginal community to create a new direction in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employment. We hope to attract, retain and develop Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff who have a demonstrated interest in the evolution of the institution, who are highly motivated and strongly committed to participating in the implementation of this Framework.


Professor Shane Houston
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Indigenous Strategy and Services)

The University of Sydney Indigenous Employment Framework 2012-2014 was developed by Vladimir Williams, Manager of Indigenous Employment, located within the Staff and Student Equal Opportunity Unit, in conjunction with the Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Indigenous Strategy and Services, and Human Resources.