At TAL, we are deeply committed to reconciliation and have developed a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) to promote strong relationships and respect between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and other Australians. Here’s a summary of our focus areas:
- Relationships: Working towards a reconciled future through our relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities through establishing and fostering strong and respectful relationships.
- Respect: We believe in valuing and acknowledging the cultures, histories, knowledge, and rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We strive to foster a shared understanding within our teams to promote respect and inclusivity.
- Opportunities: We aim to improve economic outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities through deliberate and purposeful actions within our business operations, particularly focusing on procurement and employment initiatives.
- Governance: We are committed to working within a governance framework that supports the implementation of our RAP commitments. To ensure transparency and accountability, we will report progress, challenges, and learnings.
Download TAL's RAP
TAL has established partnerships aimed at advancing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses, offering internship opportunities, and empowering youth from these communities.
Here are some of the key collaborations:
- Supply Nation: TAL’s partnership with Supply Nation, the largest national database of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander suppliers, helps promote Indigenous businesses and contributes to a more diverse and inclusive supply chain.
- Career Trackers: TAL collaborates with Career Trackers, a non-profit organisation that offers multi-year paid internships to Indigenous university students. This partnership aims to prepare these students for the workforce and provide them with valuable professional development opportunities.
- TAL's Community Foundation partners with the National Aboriginal Sporting Chance Academy (NASCA) to provide volunteering opportunities. NASCA empowers young people from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities through education, sports, and cultural activities. TAL employees can engage in skill-based volunteering to positively impact these communities.
Our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) fosters consultation and collaboration with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities while enabling our employees to contribute and gain greater cultural awareness. Since 2015, we have been on the journey towards building relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. The development of cultural protocols has enabled our people to become familiar with them and begin integrating these practices at TAL and over a third of employees have now completed TAL’s voluntary cultural learning program.
We have continued to work towards a reconciled future with 655 employee volunteer hours spent with our community partner The National Aboriginal Sporting Chance Academy (NASCA) during 2023 and participation by 10 employees in First Nations student mentoring with the Australian Business and Community Network (ABCN). Our CareerTrackers partnership, providing internship opportunities and preparing First Nations students for the workforce, has now supported a total of 22 internships since our partnership began in 2016. This has been enhanced by the development and implementation of an Indigenous Employment and Cultural Learning Strategy incorporating university student internships (guided by First Nations supplier, Stonecrab).
Our aim to help improve supplier diversity and economic outcomes with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-owned businesses has seen TAL partner with a number of businesses over the past 3 years. Supporting economic and employment outcomes in 2023, TAL has spent $2 million with Indigenous suppliers, including office interior fit-out, design and health and safety services. Building on our inaugural Innovate RAP launched in 2021, our second Innovate RAP will be launched in 2024.
Case study
TAL’s move to new Melbourne offices on Wurundjeri land in June 2024 provided the opportunity to draw on a long-standing partnership with Indigenous business supply network, Supply Nation and connect with Indigenous-owned creative enterprises. Through this partnership, AWM Amaroo and Spatial Hub created workstations, furniture and joinery, while Generate Interiors developed interior design.
Guided by creative agency, Little Rocket, local Indigenous artist Simone Thomson created artwork incorporated into the design which weaves in cultural connection to people and place.
