Expression of Interest OMID Pathways - Mentoring and Retention Organisation

PATHWAYS is an Aboriginal employment delivery model that creates structured pathways into employment, training, apprenticeships and long-term careers for Aboriginal people that will help the Office of Major Infrastructure Delivery (OMID) achieve and exceed Aboriginal Employment Targets across major infrastructure projects. Its vision is to create sustainable Aboriginal employment pathways across Western Australia's major infrastructure portfolio by connecting Aboriginal people to meaningful employment, training, qualifications and career opportunities through culturally safe partnerships and project-based workforce development. The model will connect Aboriginal people with opportunities across the lifecycle of OMID projects while providing support mechanisms that improve retention, progression, cultural safety and workforce participation outcomes. The model recognises that Aboriginal people may enter the workforce at different stages of their employment journey. Some participants may enter the program with different levels of experience, qualifications and work readiness – some will require entry-level opportunities, some will be suitable for trade apprenticeships while others may already possess skills and experience that enable immediate workforce participation. PATHWAYS will provide multiple entry points whilst maintaining a focus on sustainable employment outcomes and long-term career development. It will support Aboriginal participants with a number of workforce streams that reflect differing levels of work readiness, qualifications and experience. These pathways may include entry-level employment, work readiness activities, traineeships, apprenticeships and specialist infrastructure occupations. PATHWAYS recognises that recruitment alone does not create successful workforce outcomes. Long-term participation depends upon culturally safe support, engagement, retention and progression. This Expression of Interest (EOI) will establish an independent Aboriginal Workforce Mentoring and Retention Organisation in parallel to EOIOMID2026150 which is focused on a Group Training Organisation to manage the trade apprenticeship stream in the first instance. Respondents are encouraged to consider and demonstrate how their service model could be scalable and support future expansion into broader Aboriginal workforce pathways across Western Australia's major infrastructure sector. The State Party is undertaking an EOI process for the role of independent Aboriginal Workforce Mentoring and Retention Organisation for an initial indicative service period of 12 months and to assist with planning and initial phases of PATHWAYS. This EOI is open to Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal organisations. OMID is committed to increasing opportunities for Aboriginal people and this EOI has been developed to encourage Aboriginal organisations to respond; and for non-Aboriginal organisations to demonstrate a clear ability to deliver a culturally responsive service. The service must be culturally responsive and must support culturally safe experiences for Aboriginal people. For this EOI, culturally responsive service delivery means the organisational policies, practices, relationships and capabilities used to recognise and respond to the cultural identities, circumstances and needs of Aboriginal people. Whether an interaction or service is culturally safe is determined by the Aboriginal person receiving that service. For more information, please see Part B: 3) Culturally responsive services.