Indigenous Businesses Need Encouragement To Move Forward

Indigenous Businesses Need Encouragement to Move Forward

Young Indigenous people must be encouraged and educated to run their own businesses to combat the stark unemployment divide between Indigenous and non Indigenous Austra- lians.

Carbon Media managing director Wayne Denning says the key to bringing down Indige- nous unemployment is to encourage young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders to start up their own business instead of relying on employment and funding from the Government sector.

Mr Dennings comments come after the Australian Bureau of Statistics released figures that show Indigenous unemployment has decreased from 23% to 17% since 2002 but In- digenous unemployment is still three times that of all Australians.

Mr Denning is executive director and owner of Carbon Media, a private wholly Aboriginal owned production company based in Brisbane. Mr Denning started the business in 2006 and part of the companies remit is the employment and education of Indigenous young people who want a career in multi media. Fifty percent of employees are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.

"When I started my business there was only one other independent Indigenous media production company in Queensland. There are many opportunities for Indigenous people in many different industries, they just need the right support and education," Mr Denning says.

"State and Federal governments could be doing more in terms of mentoring and educating young Indigenous people who want to start a business."

Mr Denning says the establishment of an Australian Indigenous Minority Supplier Council (AIMSC) is an important step in ensuring Indigenous companies get their foot in the door when competing for government and corporate contracts. There are many high profile cor- porate companies that are members of AIMSC including Telstra, Qantas, nab, Foxtel, Commonwealth Bank, IMB and many more.

"We are going through the process of registration with AIMSC and it will be interesting to see how effective the partnerships are in practice," says Mr Denning.

"When you are putting work out for tender, make sure you have a look around for an In- digenous supplier and invite the company to submit an application. You might actually be surprised by what they can deliver."

Carbon Media began life at Creative Enterprise Australias business incubator program. The Queensland University of Technology set up Creative Enterprise Australia to provide mentoring, training and loans to early stage companies.

For further information please contact:
Ali France on
0408903978 or go to
www.carbon-media.com.au

SOURCE: Carbon Media