ORIC yearbook 2014–15: Performance reporting | Training
See ORIC yearbook 2014–15 table of contents
Training
In 2014–15 ORIC provided corporate governance training to 886 people from 169 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporations, organisations and new groups.
The Registrar also developed a new corporate governance workshop designed specifically for corporations in the native title sector. The workshop was trialled by 22 people from one native title body on Badu Island in the Torres Strait.
Ninety per cent of people who attended reported a significant or very significant increase in corporate governance knowledge after completing the training.
The Registrar’s training programs are designed to increase corporate governance knowledge, skills, efficiency and accountability within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporations.
Facilitator Benny Hodges explaining the water tank activity to Sammy Lyons and Thomas Holder, Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Media (Aboriginal Corporation).
Training calendar
In May each year the Registrar publishes an online calendar of Introduction to Corporate Governance (ICG) workshops and accredited training courses for the following financial year. It includes proposed dates and locations for courses. The calendar is updated regularly in case of changes.
Types of training courses and workshops
Eligible applicants can apply to ORIC for corporate governance training through residential courses (part of ORIC’s Managing in Two Worlds program) and/or through workshops delivered in the community through ORIC’s corporation-specific programs.
The Managing in Two Worlds program includes:
- ICG workshops held over three days
- Certificate IV in Business (Governance) delivered in four one-week blocks
- Diploma of Business (Governance) delivered in five one-week blocks.
Corporation-specific training (CST) is delivered to individual corporations that have requested training especially tailored to their particular needs and circumstances.
CST workshops are usually held at a corporation’s premises or within the community. The training is delivered over one or two days. The range of CST workshops includes:
- pre-incorporation doorway (including transfers and amalgamations): provides information on the CATSI Act requirements and processes for an organisation to become incorporated under the CATSI Act
- rule book design and re-design: helps corporations and new groups looking to register to develop a rule book under the CATSI Act
- support and mentoring: provides support and practical information in running a corporation, including post-special administration training to prevent the problems that led to the special administration in the first place
- Building Strong Stores (BSS): is a two-day program designed specifically for corporations that manage a community store
- native title: corporations in the native title sector face particular challenges and complex issues. During the year ORIC developed a new corporation-specific training workshop designed specifically for native title corporations. A trial was held in September 2014 with 22 participants. From the trial ORIC made a number of changes and refinements to the workshop.
Overall training delivered
In 2014–15 ORIC exceeded its training targets for both the number of participants and corporations.
| Estimate | Actual | |
|---|---|---|
| Number of participants | 750 | 886 |
| Number of corporations | 120 | 169 |
| Participants that reported a significant or very significant increase in corporate governance knowledge | 90% | 90% |
Note: Overall statistics are based on single counts of participants and corporations.
Figure 13: Training workshops and courses by state/territory 2014–15
Case study: Coming together for training
In April 2015 directors and staff from the following three different corporations came together for two days of corporate governance training:
- Gangalidda and Garawa Native Title Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC
- Carpentaria Land Council Aboriginal Corporation
- Gulf Region Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC
The 22 participants travelled to Cairns from Doomadgee, Burketown, Mornington Island and the Northern Territory.
There was a high level of participation and the workshop was modified to meet the varying skill levels, experience and age of the participants.
There were lots of questions about PBC issues, but the use of practical and real-life examples helped participants to feel confident about implementing their new knowledge and understanding back at their corporations.
The participants have now set their sights on the ICG workshop for more training.
‘The workshop went really well. All participants were keen to contribute ideas and get involved in discussions,’
said Jennifer Reuben, ORIC’s Cairns regional officer.
Introduction to Corporate Governance (ICG)
ICG workshops explain key concepts and principles of good corporate governance to members and staff of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporations. Participants need to complete an ICG workshop before they can gain entry to the accredited Certificate IV in Business (Governance).
ORIC delivered nine ICG workshops across Australia in 2014–15. A total of 237 people, representing 93 corporations, participated.
| Date | Location | Number of participants | Number of corporations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 2014 | Coober Pedy, SA | 23 | 6 |
| Aug 2014 | Yulara, NT | 24 | 11 |
| Sept 2014 | Bundaberg, Qld | 19 | 12 |
| Oct 2014 | Kununurra, WA | 19 | 8 |
| Dec 2014 | Tamworth, NSW | 28 | 9 |
| Feb 2015 | Carnarvon, WA | 21 | 8 |
| Apr 2015 | Katherine, NT | 50 | 15 |
| May 2015 | Kalgoorlie, WA | 33 | 10 |
| Jun 2015 | Gladstone, Qld | 20 | 14 |
| Total | 237 | 93 |
Certificate IV in Business (Governance)
The Certificate IV in Business (Governance) is part of a national accredited training package developed specifically for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who wish to improve their corporate governance and management skills. The objective is for potential and existing directors to attain key competencies and accreditation.
ORIC ran one Certificate IV in Business (Governance) course in 2014–15 which was held in Brisbane. The course drew participants from Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory. Fourteen students started the course and all graduated.
| Date | Location | Number of students graduated | Number of corporations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Block 1: 20–24 Oct 2014 | Brisbane, Qld | 14 | 13 |
| Block 2: 1–6 Dec 2014 | |||
| Block 3: 9–13 Feb 2015 | |||
| Block 4: 16–20 Mar 2015 |
Case study: Certificate IV in Business (Governance)
In October 2014, students who had enrolled in ORIC’s business governance course arrived in Brisbane for the first of four one-week residential study blocks. Drawn from different corporations from across Australia the students might have been a little nervous but they were also motivated. Some had travelled long distances—for example, from the Northern Territory and Western Australia.
The students responded well to the face-to-face tuition which was conducted over 20 days. In between study blocks they returned home to work on set assignments and assessments.
All 14 students who started the course finished it. On 20 March 2015 a graduation ceremony was hosted by the Registrar at the Novotel Brisbane with a number of guests, including the federal member for Brisbane, the Hon. Teresa Gambaro MP, and the Hon. Shayne Neumann, Shadow Minister for Indigenous Affairs and federal member for Blair.
Certificate IV in Business (Governance) graduation in Brisbane.
Diploma of Business (Governance)
The Diploma of Business (Governance) builds on competencies already acquired in the Certificate IV in Business (Governance).
A diploma course commenced in June 2015 with 14 students. It will be run over five one-week blocks and completed in November 2015.
Corporation-specific training (CST)
In 2014–15 ORIC delivered 75 separate CST workshops for 92 different corporations and groups. Altogether 629 participants attended the workshops. The governance topic most often requested and consequently delivered at the workshops was ‘the roles, responsibilities and legal duties of directors’.
The most workshops (36 per cent) were conducted in Western Australia, followed by New South Wales (24 per cent) and Queensland (19 per cent).
|
Date |
Location |
State |
Number of participants |
Number of corporations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 2014 | Latrobe | Tas | 4 | 1 |
| Jul 2014 | Halls Creek | WA | 10 | 2 |
| Jul 2014 | Bunbury | WA | 6 | 1 |
| Jul 2014 | Newman | WA | 6 | 1 |
| Jul 2014 | Alice Springs | NT | 8 | 1 |
| Jul 2014 | Derby | WA | 6 | 1 |
| Jul 2014 | Gin Gin | Qld | 8 | 1 |
| Jul 2014 | Eisvold | Qld | 6 | 1 |
| Jul 2014 | Purga | Qld | 8 | 1 |
| Jul 2014 | Maningrida | NT | 6 | 1 |
| Jul 2014 | Mount Barnett | WA | 4 | 1 |
| Jul 2014 | Derby | WA | 10 | 1 |
| Jul 2014 | Narrabri | NSW | 6 | 1 |
| Aug 2014 | Geraldton | WA | 10 | 1 |
| Aug 2014 | Watanobbi | NSW | 7 | 1 |
| Aug 2014 | Katherine | NT | 8 | 1 |
| Aug 2014 | Narromine | NSW | 8 | 1 |
| Aug 2014 | Newman | WA | 9 | 1 |
| Aug 2014 | Darwin | NT | 4 | 1 |
| Aug 2014 | Mildura | Vic | 6 | 1 |
| Aug 2014 | Roebourne | WA | 8 | 2 |
| Aug 2014 | Warmun | WA | 6 | 1 |
| Aug 2014 | Normanton | Qld | 18 | 2 |
| Sept 2014 | Charters Towers | Qld | 6 | 1 |
| Sept 2014 | Badu Island | Qld | 22 | 1 |
| Sept 2014 | Bickerton Island | NT | 11 | 1 |
| Oct 2014 | Albany | WA | 10 | 1 |
| Oct 2014 | Byron Bay | NSW | 12 | 1 |
| Oct 2014 | Gunnedah | NSW | 15 | 1 |
| Nov 2014 | Melbourne | Vic | 4 | 1 |
| Feb 2015 | Canberra | ACT | 7 | 1 |
| Feb 2015 | South Hedland* | WA | 5 | 1 |
| Feb2015 | Broome | WA | 9 | 1 |
| Feb 2015 | Launceston | Tas | 8 | 1 |
| Feb 2015 | Yamba | NSW | 5 | 1 |
| Feb 2015 | Coraki | NSW | 5 | 1 |
| Mar 2015 | Tennant Creek | NT | 9 | 1 |
| Mar 2015 | Katoomba | NSW | 14 | 1 |
| Mar 2015 | Coolangatta | Qld | 8 | 1 |
| Mar 2015 | Ali Curung | NT | 16 | 1 |
| Mar 2015 | Port Macquarie | NSW | 6 | 1 |
| Mar 2015 | Mareeba | Qld | 3 | 1 |
| Mar 2015 | Raymond Terrace | NSW | 5 | 1 |
| Mar 2015 | Hervey Bay | Qld | 5 | 1 |
| Mar 2015 | Mutitjulu | NT | 6 | 1 |
| Mar 2015 | Kalumburu | WA | 21 | 4 |
| Apr 2015 | Mulan | WA | 14 | 3 |
| Apr 2015 | Badu Island | Qld | 13 | 1 |
| Apr 2015 | Ringer Soak | WA | 26 | 4 |
| Apr 2015 | Kempsey** | NSW | 3 | 1 |
| Apr 2015 | Cairns | Qld | 21 | 3 |
| Apr 2015 | Inverell** | NSW | 6 | 1 |
| Apr 2015 | Dubbo | NSW | 2 | 1 |
| Apr 2015 | Kununurra | WA | 5 | 1 |
| Apr 2015 | Doon Doon Community | WA | 5 | 2 |
| Apr 2015 | Halls Creek | WA | 8 | 4 |
| Apr 2015 | Glen Hill Station | WA | 6 | 1 |
| Apr 2015 | Kununurra | WA | 6 | 1 |
| Apr 2015 | Dubbo | NSW | 4 | 1 |
| Apr 2015 | Townsville | Qld | 6 | 1 |
| Apr 2015 | Townsville | Qld | 5 | 1 |
| Apr 2015 | Port Macquarie | NSW | 7 | 1 |
| Apr 2015 | Dubbo | NSW | 4 | 1 |
| May 2015 | Healesville* | Vic | 7 | 1 |
| May 2015 | Brisbane | Qld | 7 | 1 |
| May 2015 | Ceduna | SA | 6 | 1 |
| May 2015 | Albany* | WA | 7 | 1 |
| May 2015 | Ceduna | SA | 7 | 1 |
| May 2015 | Kalgoorlie* | WA | 10 | 1 |
| May 2015 | Beagle Bay | WA | 7 | 1 |
| May 2015 | Derby | WA | 7 | 1 |
| May 2015 | Port Macquarie | NSW | 8 | 1 |
| May 2015 | Ballina | NSW | 9 | 1 |
| Jun 2015 | Wingellina | WA | 14 | 1 |
| Jun 2015 | Karratha* | WA | 15 | 1 |
| Total | 629 | 92 |
Notes: * Pre-incorporation doorway workshops for a group looking to register a new
corporation.
** Doorway workshop for an existing organisation looking to transfer registration.
Case study: CSTs—when ORIC comes to you
ORIC finds it a challenge each year to respond to the hundreds of requests from corporations for corporate governance training.
To reach as many corporation directors and officers as possible, and to maximise its coverage across Australia, ORIC has adjusted its training model. The Registrar was particularly concerned to assist corporations in remote areas—to build strong corporations, strong people and strong communities.
ORIC’s adaptable approach was exemplified in a training visit in April 2015 to the East Kimberley. Corporation specific training (CST) workshops were coordinated over a 10-day period and at the same time it was arranged that the following corporations received customised governance assistance:
Joseph Martin from Woolah Aboriginal Corporation commented that, ‘Since we’ve had this training we can do a lot more for our corporation and our community.’
Partnerships
Over the year ORIC maintained training partnerships with:
- State Government of Victoria
- State Government of New South Wales
- State Government of Western Australia
- Australian Indigenous Leadership Centre (AILC).
ORIC’s Russell Styche delivering a CST workshop in Katherine, Northern Territory.