Supporting an Indigenous Cleaning Company

The initiative follows a visit last year by a delegation of business and education leaders who spent five days talking to Elders and Councillors to see how they could assist the community.

Andrew Weaver, Executive General Manager for Specialised Services, said: "In our conversations, it was clear that financing the start-up costs is one of the main barriers to setting up a new business in remote areas like this. I realised that this was certainly something that ISS could help with in terms of providing equipment, supplies, uniforms and so on, which would allow them to establish a cleaning business owned by local people and employing local people."

Since then, ISS has worked with My Pathway, a leading provider of employment and health services in rural and remote locations across Australia, to make connections with Indigenous communities and businesses in Lockhart River. Through My Pathway, ISS partnered with 'Lockhart Asset Services' - a new cleaning company that had just been awarded a contract at the Lockhart State School.

ISS provided the start-up team with training on best-practice cleaning methods and chemical storage/handling, while ISS supplied new uniforms and consumables supplier Bunzl generously donated cleaning products and equipment. Lockhart Asset Services employees now have valuable operational knowledge from an industry leader, and are equipped and ready to run the contract.

Through its Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), ISS Australia has made formalised commitments to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples to provide employment opportunities and build stronger relationships with these communities. Since initiating the RAP in 2015, ISS has directly employed 216 Indigenous Australians. The Lockhart River project supports a key RAP objective for ISS by improving business opportunities and promoting prosperity for Indigenous people.