Talking Family, Work, Culture & Country With Lynette
Lynette is proud a Dunghutti woman from Kempsey, NSW and has worked in the community service and education sector for over 20 years.
She sees her role as an opportunity to bridge the gap between diversity and inclusiveness by leading the way in line with Programmed core values to deliver optimum training and pre-employment programs to people who are looking for a fair go and opportunities to work in the Trade and Facility Management industry.“I am passionate about inclusiveness for all and positive change for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. My strengths are community engagement, building strong community partnerships and identifying key stakeholders to achieve quality outcomes in the best interest of individuals and the community.
There is nothing unique or special about me other than my importance in life is being a mother, my family and never forgetting where I come from and mostly staying authentic to who I am. For the past three years, I’ve worked alongside some amazing people in Programmed who have been a great influence on my professional career and development.”, shares Lynette.
Lynette’s values are treating people with respect and as equals, family, culture and country; “Family and my Aboriginal culture is everything. Going home to country grounds you, it connects me with my family and the community where I grew up, it’s a part of me and where I belong. Going home to Country re-energises me to come back to Canberra, where I am based”.
Hoping to enlighten and change attitudes toward Indigenous people, Lynette highlights how sometimes, when she is late for meetings or work, she’s running on Koori time which is a natural part of culture and in no way intentional, Lynette said. When she has been away from Kempsey for long periods of time from family and Country, she goes walk-about and travels back home to Kempsey, which enables her to stay connected to her cultural heritage and family. Lynette say’s it’s important for any employer to have this cultural understanding of Indigenous people going home to country and family, “It’s our cultural identity and we belong to the land where our cultural traditions and dream time stories begin. Once I’ve been home to country and family, I return to work rejuvenated and more productive”.
Lynette holds strong values on respecting others, showing empathy and compassion and giving people a voice.
As a mother of three, Lynette is passionate about empowering and providing opportunities to young people and people looking for an opportunity. Through her own experience in preparing her kids for the industry, she highlighted the logistical and technological challenges in attaining specific trade tickets, and appropriate PPE for employment in the Trade industry. To remedy the situation for others, since Lynette joined Programmed as the National Social Inclusion Manager, Lynette has partnered and built strong community relationships with key community organisations to identify and deliver quality training programs and initiatives that is a one stop shop for anyone looking to get in the Trade industry. These new initiatives and programs have achieved successful outcomes that have been described as a “God-send” and life-changing for young people.
We look forward to sharing how Lynette is changing the landscape for so many and how she epitomises our core values of diversity, inclusion, care, and empathy.
If you have a question for Lynette, email us at: womenconnect@programmed.com.au
