We connected to Indigenous businesses

We’ve been expanding representation of Indigenous business in the suppliers we work with through our partnership with Supply Nation - a not-for-profit organisation that aims to grow the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island business sector through the promotion of supplier diversity in Australia.

BSL has increased its total dollar spend with Indigenous suppliers by over 58% in the past financial year and grown our number of suppliers.

To help grow these relationships further, BSL attended Supply Nation’s Connect 2022 Indigenous Business Tradeshow held in Sydney, which brings together a range of delegates to showcase Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses from around Australia. 

‘The theme this year was reconnecting post COVID-19,’ said Elly Krommidas, BSL’s Head of Business Enablement. ‘It was a fantastic opportunity for BSL to connect with 1,860 Indigenous businesses and delegates. We started conversations with a number of potential suppliers which will help us reach our RAP targets.’

Can you support Indigenous business? See if there is an Indigenous business to support your requirements at the Supply Nation Indigenous Business Direct database.

We supported Indigenous careers

BSL hosted three interns from the CareerTrackers Internship program in our Youth and HIPPY teams. CareerTrackers was founded in 2009 and is a national not-for-profit organisation. It aims to support Indigenous students throughout their education and career pathways with its success being recognised by employers, governments, and Indigenous communities. BSL has enjoyed a partnership with CareerTrackers for six years and has hosted ten interns over that time. 

BSL’s aim is to improve employment outcomes by increasing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander recruitment, retention and professional development. This includes promoting and offering at least two paid internships for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander applicants each year.

In meeting this objective, we were proud to host three interns, including Julia Mitchell, Chloe Gunning and Chloe Montague. Here are two reflections on the experience:

My name is Chloe Montague and I am a proud Barkindji woman…

During the past summer, I was fortunate enough to participate in my first internship with the Youth Team at the Brotherhood of St. Laurence through its association with the CareerTrackers program.

This internship has allowed me to grow and develop as a person and has afforded me the opportunity to work in a field that is relevant to my medical studies but has also challenged and extended my own knowledge and thinking.

My confidence in my ability to apply my university knowledge to the workforce has improved significantly and has solidified my career choice and confirmed where I want to take my future endeavours.  By working for BSL and, specifically, in the Youth Team, I have come to develop a deeper appreciation and understanding of the many different ways of talking to people to help ensure they remain inspired. This is something I have developed a great passion for and want to continue learning about and building upon in the future.  

I am extremely grateful for the opportunity that I have been given, and I hope to see this initiative expand across the organisation in the future. It has been a wonderful experience and it has been crucial not only to my development as a person but also to my ability to work professionally in the workplace. ​

My name is Chloe Gunning, and I am a proud Wiradjuri woman...

I'm currently studying for a Bachelor of Social Work at Charles Sturt University, and in the Summer of 2021, I worked with the BSL Youth Team as a CareerTracker intern. During my time with BSL, I was exposed to a wide variety of hands-on work and had the opportunity to work on incredible projects with the wonderful BSL Youth Team. I am particularly proud having worked with the Education First Youth Foyers and their alumni to create an 'After Foyer Thriving Guide'. 

The purpose of this Thriving Guide is to inspire young people who have participated in the Foyer program and assist them with their transition from Foyers to independent living. My experience with CareerTrackers and BSL has been one of my greatest to date and a truly invaluable experience. So much so, that it has inspired me to volunteer as an Indigenous Mentor at my own university. 

This opportunity has not only expanded my professional knowledge but helped me to gain hands-on experience that I can take with me into my future roles.

We celebrated National Reconciliation Week

After two years of lockdowns, it was fantastic for staff to meet face-to-face to celebrate National Reconciliation Week (NRW), which ran from Sunday 27 May to Sunday 3 June 2022.  The theme for the Week was ‘Be Brave. Make Change’ . 

In addition to staff taking action by completing cultural awareness training, they had the chance to enjoy many events hosted by BSL during the week. These included a walking tour of Fitzroy with Uncle Bill Nicholson, a celebratory lunch, a deeply relaxing yidaki (didgeridoo) meditation and healing session , and a traditional language workshop.

Our NRW celebration lunch was held across the road from our Head Office in Fitzroy at Atherton Gardens public housing estate, with a Welcome to Country by Wurundjeri Elder, Tony Garvey, and his son. This was followed by a smoking ceremony and addresses by Reconciliation Committee Member, Rodney Weston, and BSL Executive Director, Travers McLeod.  

Attendees then enjoyed a lunch catered by Indigenous catering company, Mabu Mabu , and dances by the Djirri Djirri Indigenous Women’s Dance group .