Our Way Home Workforce Development Program
“Rebuilding Indigenous cultural knowledge and building new futures within and beyond the Tasmanian Aboriginal community.”
Nayri Niara’s “Our Way Home” mentee program reflects Nayri Niara’s core values of sharing Indigenous knowledge and ways of being, inclusivity, building connections and teaching lasting skills in a safe and spirit raising environment. Mentees learn entrepreneurship through an Indigenous cultural and wellbeing lens, inviting a sense of community, purpose and belonging.
The “Our Way Home” program strengthens relationships between the Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities, investing in longer term community building and helping us work towards ‘Closing the Gap’ for Indigenous people.
Support our work by making a donation.
Your generous support towards Nayri Niara’s Indigenous Social Enterprise helps us to create community events & develop workforce programs that strengthen relationships between Indigenous & non-Indigenous communities, provide job opportunities & nurture skills - helping us in our mission to ‘Close the Gap’ for Indigenous people.
“We believe in belonging - knowing that we, & what we create, matters to the world.”
— Ruth Langford, founder and director of Nayri Niara
Hear directly from the voice of First Nations “Our Way Home” mentee, Zane.
Our Way Home Journey:
Program launch: 2017
No. of programs to date: 6
Total no. of mentees completed program: 50 +
Program success:
Michelle Maynard won the State Training Award
Meahd Farnaby won the National Project Management Award
Warren Mason created & launched Tin Camp Studios at the 2019 Nayri Niara Good Spirit Festival, which has been greatly successful, featured at the 2021 Mona Foma, now touring Tasmania & featured again at the 2022 Nayri Niara Good Spirit Festival
Joshua Langford went on to produce cultural works across the State
Linda Brinkman created & launched Story Dome at the 2019 Nayri Niara Good Spirit Festival which was featured again at the 2022 Nayri Niara Good Spirit Festival due to its success
Variety of participants have now gone on to working in the events, creative arts, hospitality, design & tourism sectors.
2022 Program:
In March Nayri Niara launched its 6th “Our Way Home” Mentee Program alongside the Nayri Niara Good Spirit Festival. Nayri Niara, in partnership with the Institute of Project Management, Events Tasmania & the Local Jobs Program (Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment), engaged 15 Southern Tasmanian Indigenous & non-Indigenous individuals aged 16-25 to join a 12-week paid internship to gain a Certificate 4 in Project Management. The program fostered a ‘learn-by-doing’ experience with an Indigenous cultural knowledge and well-being lens, mentoring, & hands-on project management experience by assisting in the production of the 6th Nayri Niara Good Spirit Festival(celebrated 22-25 April on lunawuni/Bruny Island).
The 15 mentees experienced a transformational 12-weeks, having completed their Certificate 4 in project management, delivered the 3-day Nayri Niara Good Spirit Festival, & received live work experience in the Events, Cultural Creative Arts, Tourism & Hospitality sectors through mentoring with some of Tasmanians most exciting creative individuals. They not only learned invaluable skills within Project Management but they created a strong sense of connection & purpose within themselves, each other & the broader community.
Image Contributors
Jillian Mundy • Peter Casamento • Jessica Coughlan
‘This Local Jobs Program is funded by the Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment’.
