CSIRO’s Data61, the data and digital specialist arm of Australia’s national science agency, has created the Indigenous Jobs Map. 

A large team from many disciplines, including computer scientists, social scientists, technicians and researchers, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses and advisors, used old-fashioned fact-finding to “train” artificial intelligence to identify the mismatch between educational qualifications and job opportunities. 

Targeted strategies could include offering remote work to attract people who would like to stay on Country, connected with their community, or creating roles in fields where qualified Indigenous workers are well-represented but demand is lower in fields such as architecture, building, agriculture and environment. 

The Data61 team, which included many Indigenous Australians, analysed more than 10 million job ads to create the Indigenous Jobs Map. 

Senior principal research scientist and lead author Dr Claire Mason says researchers collated job ads from many sources, such as newspapers and company websites. 

It was found that the many barriers for Indigenous Australians finding work – and for employers looking to employ Indigenous people – include lack of diverse job advertisements and geographic location. 

Many employers want to take on Indigenous staff but often don’t know where to look for them or what qualifications they possess. 

Part of the system entails AI technology picking up words with similar meanings to align what employers want with what Indigenous workers can offer. 

“Indigenous workers in the NT are likely to hold qualifications in fields such as management and commerce, society and culture, engineering and health,” says Dr Mason. 

“There is high demand for workers with this type of qualification. Where there may be a mismatch is in the level of qualification that employers are looking for because most job ads that specify a qualification requirement mention a bachelor degree qualification.” 

Louisa Warren, Executive Manager of Indigenous Engagement, says many employers now want to deliver on their Reconciliation Action Plan objectives by investing in reskilling and upskilling Indigenous workers. 

“But they often put out job ads without understanding the capabilities of Indigenous workers. We can help them drill down to gain an insight into particular communities. 

“Targeted strategies could include offering remote work to attract people who would like to stay on Country, connected with their community, or creating roles in fields where qualified Indigenous workers are well-represented but demand is lower in fields such as architecture, building, agriculture and environment.” 

CSIRO’s Data61 research shows that the Northern Territory has the highest rate of Indigenous employment in Australia – but not the highest proportion of ads aimed at Indigenous workers. 

“We can fix that disparity,” says Dr Mason. “That’s what we want to do – we want to make a difference in the real world.”