The AES was started in Moree in 1997 and grew out of one of the recommendations of the 1991 Royal Commission into Black Deaths in Custody to establish Aboriginal employment promotion committees nationwide. After expanding its operations to a number of other NSW country centres in the early 2000s, it opened its first Sydney office in Glebe seven years ago and now has 15 offices across Australia.
There are four offices in Sydney, the national support office in Surry Hills, Western Sydney office in Blacktown, South Western Sydney office in Campbelltown and the shiny new Central Sydney office on the corner of Elizabeth and Phillip streets in Waterloo. The Waterloo office will service the northern and inner city.
The AES runs personalised structured workplace-training programs in conjunction with its corporate partners – which include Australia Post, Telstra, major banks, hotel and entertainment chains, retailers, and mining and transport companies.
Manager of the Central Sydney office, Rodney Williams, spoke of the new opportunities to partner with local organisations that will come with the move to its new strategic location on the corner of Elizabeth Street opposite Redfern Oval and the PCYC, close to the Waterloo and Redfern public housing.
AES CEO Danny Lester attributed the success of the AES to the team’s unwavering focus on the AES’s purpose – changing of mindset for Aboriginal people to think about career paths, not just jobs but real careers. He spoke of the office becoming a “beacon for success in Waterloo” and also welcomed the move to Waterloo, as it will be more accessible for the Aboriginal community at La Perouse.
Before everyone went outside to enjoy a barbecue lunch, Emily Lyons, who is now a full-time trainee teller with the Commonwealth Bank, thanked the AES for the role it has played in mentoring her since she was in Year 10 at school and Stephen her Career Support Officer who helped with interview preparation and assistance as she worked out her career options after completing her HSC.
