Certificate IV inspires knowledge sharing for social good

Joel Chapman is striving to make a difference for Bibelmen Mia Aboriginal Corporation, which aims to provide its members, their families and other similar persons, relief from negative socio-economic factors.  

The director now has a new qualification after completing a Certificate IV in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Governance with ORIC in 2024.

‘I'm from the Noongar Nation, which is made up of 13 different tribal areas, and I'm lucky to have connections to most of them. I'm a proud Wardandi/Wadandi, Pibelmen/Bibelmen Maarman (Man), with ties to Minang, Whadjak, Booraloo and other areas on our Boodja (Country). I have both blood and marriage tie to all the tribes of the Noongar Nation, which is a great honour,’ Joel says.

For Joel, building his practical knowledge of core governance principles was not just about improving professional skillsets and career prospects.

‘I pursued the Certificate IV in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Governance course to benefit our Indigenous First Nations people,’ he says.  

Joel wanted to complete the course to share an improved regulatory understanding for Indigenous corporations, and the members and communities they serve.  

‘I hope that I can help them all benefit from the knowledge and information that I now know,’ he says.

‘This is a good course for anyone who is in an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporation, organisation, community and businesses.

‘The course was intensive but exceptionally informative, offering invaluable insights that will benefit our culture and people for the future.’

Joel thoroughly enjoyed the  course, which had him heading to Brisbane for 4 one-week residential study blocks taught over 5 months, with time at home studying and working on assignments in between.

But he also acknowledges it’s not an easy path.

‘It has a lot of information and advice on how to run things; this is not your average course,’ he says.  

‘It's very long and is somewhat intensive. Be prepared to do a lot of reading, writing and research for the course, but at the same time it's worth it.’  

Joel’s recommendation for future students is to make the most of the time with the course facilitator during each block, which was a key part of the course for him.

‘I had to use my time effectively and manage my time in completing assessments and class time during each block of the course,’ he says.  

‘I tried to at least do a minimum of 4 to 10 hours a week of reading, research, writing and typing my assessments and documents.’  

After enjoying the final block of classes in Brisbane with the other students, Joel is back in WA, remembering a year of networking and qualification building.  

‘The opportunity to network with other individuals and organisations of Aboriginal descent was incredibly enriching and rewarding,’ he says.  

Registrations are now open for the 2025 Certificate IV in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Governance.