TAFE SA
Building greater cultural awareness and respect at TAFE SA
In his role as TAFE SA‘s Aboriginal Engagement Consultant, Clayton Dodd has spent the past two years strengthening ties with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff and stakeholders and applying a “cultural lens” to projects and programs.
Clayton’s role supports TAFE SA’s vision for reconciliation which includes stronger relationships and increased mutual respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
He has established an engagement networking group with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff and they meet regularly to discuss what’s happening at TAFE SA and in their local communities.
“Part of my role is to support and mentor Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff and through the engagement group I’m also able to promote leadership programs and encourage people to take part,” he says.
Clayton also liaises with TAFE SA’s Elders Advisory Group and the Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) working group and provides informal guidance on cultural appropriateness for the wider TAFE SA staff.
“I get emails saying, ‘Can I ask a question’ and I welcome that,” he says.
“I think there’s a greater awareness among staff and more people wanting to learn about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture.”
He also travels regularly to meet with staff at TAFE SA’s regional campuses and has made several visits to the Spencer Gulf region of South Australia. In the months ahead, he’ll be focusing on engagement with staff and the wider community on the Limestone Coast.
“We want TAFE SA to be more involved in the Aboriginal community in Mount Gambier and the wider South East region,” he says.
Clayton, whose heritage includes Pitjantjatjara, Yankunytjatjara, Dieri, and Arabunna, spent his formative years in Port Augusta and also lived in Coober Pedy before moving to Alice Springs for work.
A job with the Department of Human Services brought him to Adelaide where he set up the Aboriginal Language Interpreting Service (ALIS) to assist people in communicating with and understanding Aboriginal speakers in a range of different settings including hospitals and health centres.
The importance of language and interpreting skills continues to be a focus for Clayton and he’s excited by the imminent launch of a program at TAFE SA’s city campus to teach the First Nations language, Pitjantjatjara, which is spoken in the APY Lands.
In the future, he hopes to have significant TAFE SA documents such as the Strategic Plan translated into Pitjantjatjara.
An important part of Clayton’s role is to promote cultural awareness across TAFE SA which he does informally and through more structured activities such as participation on committees and working on the development of the organisation’s next RAP.
He’s been closely involved in developing TAFE SA’s Aboriginal Cultural Respect Footprint, an education program for staff, which offers four workshops covering a range of topics such as Aboriginal history and experiences from an Indigenous perspective, ongoing racism and the importance of cultural sensitivity.
The first of the four workshops – Aboriginal Cultural Respect Footprint Online – is an introductory session for all staff which forms part of TAFE SA’s staff induction program.
Clayton says the training opportunities have been well received with “nothing but positive comments” and staff showing enthusiasm for learning more.
“Over the years, I’ve been involved in a lot of cultural awareness training and what I’ve found at TAFE SA is there’s less resistance to participating and learning and that’s been a highlight for me,” he says.