- Cook Government supports 13 graduates to complete Aboriginal Business Leadership Initiative Program
- Program helping to increase leadership, business knowledge, and employment opportunities in the Gascoyne
The Cook Government is supporting Aboriginal businesses in the State's north to grow, through a six-month training program aimed at improving business knowledge and skills.
The 13 graduates of the Gascoyne Aboriginal Business Leadership Initiative Program (GABLI) are being recognised at a Graduation Ceremony at the Gwoonwardu Mia Gascoyne Aboriginal Heritage and Cultural Centre in Carnarvon today.
GABLI is delivered by the Better Heart Aboriginal Corporation, and is supported by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, along with the Gascoyne Development Commission. The GABLI has provided Aboriginal businesspeople with increased business knowledge, employment opportunities and confidence to continue to build their businesses.
The Aboriginal graduates, who are either existing small business owners, or who aspire to start up their own small business, have been supported to develop their business ideas through extensive mentoring, with the use of action planning techniques to make practical progress with their business goals, and to develop their business skills and knowledge.
Mentoring sessions have been delivered and complimented by targeted business workshops on topics such as self-care in business, business financials, marketing, growth strategies and business leadership.
The successful GABLI graduates have now been linked to local, regional and State support networks to ensure their positive momentum can continue.
As stated by Regional Development Minister Don Punch:
"This leadership program has been a great initiative and given existing and emerging entrepreneurs the skills, knowledge and confidence to take their enterprises to the next level.
"This Gascoyne program has been delivered by a graduate from the Wheatbelt program, making it the first time the program has been delivered by an Aboriginal business since it started in 2017.
"The program has been successfully delivered in the Gascoyne, Mid West, Goldfields, Wheatbelt, Great Southern, and South West regions, and has collectively supported 72Aboriginal start-up businesses.
"I congratulate and commend these latest graduates on their tenacity, commitment and willingness to inspire other Aboriginal businesses and start-ups in the region."
