Aboriginal workforce
SMHS is committed to increasing its Aboriginal workforce and providing a culturally safe and supportive workplace that supports, retains and advances Aboriginal staff.
Increasing Aboriginal staff across all sectors of our health service is essential to:
- delivering culturally responsive care to Aboriginal people accessing our services, enhancing their comfort and engagement with healthcare teams
- improving Aboriginal health outcomes
- closing the gap on disadvantage
- enhancing cross cultural awareness
- improving innovation and problem solving
- creating a positive workplace culture.
Continue reading to find out more about opportunities across:
- Fiona Stanley Fremantle Hospitals Group (external site), including Fiona Stanley Hospital and Fremantle Hospital
- Peel Health Campus (external site)
- Rockingham Peel Group (external site), including Rockingham General Hospital and Murray Districts Hospital
- South Metropolitan Health Service (external site), including SMHS Mental Health (external site) and many other community-based services (external site).
This WA Health program offers Aboriginal university students the opportunity to gain paid work experience in health, while studying an undergraduate degree. Participating students:
- develop workforce skills and abilities
- establish personal and professional networks
- gain better understandings of the workplace and systems
- receive an income whilst studying
- discover what a future career in the WA Health public sector can offer.
We’re looking for Aboriginal university students from a range of disciplines and degrees including, but not limited to:
- business, commerce, finance and law
- public health, health sciences health promotion
- information technology
- medicine, nursing and midwifery,
- allied health, including social work and psychology.
Read more about the Aboriginal Cadetship program (external site).
This WA Health program offers Aboriginal university graduates a head start in developing their skills in clinical and non-clinical areas, within a culturally safe and supportive workplace, while being paid an attractive salary.
Graduates can join one of the largest Aboriginal workforces in the State in a range of health and non-health related jobs, at all levels within the metropolitan and regional areas.
The program offers:
- job and financial security with a 2-year fixed term contract with WA Health
- valuable career experience in a variety of work areas, including through workplace rotations, rurally and in metropolitan areas
- access to structured learning and development programs aimed at building your career pathway and increasing your knowledge of the public sector and the WA health system
- cultural mentoring and career coaching
- opportunities to build lasting relationships and networks
- a culturally safe and inclusive workplace
- flexible working and leave arrangements to balance work, family and cultural obligations
- significant support to transition to permanent employment on completion of the graduate program.
Learn more about the Aboriginal Graduate Program (external site).
This newly introduced profession is registered with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practice Board and have completed a Certificate IV in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Primary Health Care Practice. This is a clinically trained role with potential for further clinical training
Aboriginal health practitioners (AHPs) work with health care teams to provide culturally safe, holistic person-centred clinical care, health education and promotion for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people within Western Australia.
This includes:
- cultural safety to patients and their families
- a culturally respectful and non-discriminatory journey for patients and their families to ensure health equity
- a cultural model of care with a holistic focus that incorporates a patient and family centred approach
- advocacy, support and respect for patients and their families, to maintain their cultural and social obligations.
For more information about AHP opportunities, please email SMHS Aboriginal Health Strategy.
In line with the Equal Opportunity Act 1984 (external site), SMHS aims to create a more diverse workforce by providing greater employment opportunities for Aboriginal people.
The Act supports a number of alternative employment options through the application of:
- Section 50(d), when Aboriginality is a genuine requirement for the position
- Section 51 to increase employment opportunities for Aboriginal people.
SMHS applies Section 51 to all advertised recruitment processes, except for those where Section 50(d) applies.
See available jobs
Contact us
The SMHS Aboriginal Health Strategy Team develop initiatives and deliver programs aimed at increasing workforce opportunities and supporting career pathways for Aboriginal people.
For more information about Aboriginal employment opportunities and pathways in SMHS, please email SMHS Aboriginal Health Strategy or phone 6152 1180.