Our partnerships and programs

Clontarf Foundation

Our partnerships and programs focus on creating education and employment opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, through trade and professional career pathways. One of the best ways to build an inclusive and diverse workforce is to partner with organisations that share our values and can help build connections with peoples and communities. We recognise that engagement requires relationships built on trust and that real connection only happens when these relationships are embraced. By enabling more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to join and grow within our workforce, and by drawing on their skills, capabilities and unique life experiences, we aim to work with peoples and communities to improve socioeconomic outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities.
Our partnership with the Clontarf Foundation commenced in 2018 and is all about improving the education, life-skills, self-esteem and employment prospects of young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men. We engage with students through annual employment forums across NSW. This partnership has already resulted in two Clontarf Alumni joining our Pre-Employment and Apprenticeship programs.

"Essential Energy has been a fantastic partner of the Clontarf Foundation, assisting us in our quest to positively change the lives of thousands of Aboriginal boys, their families and communities across New South Wales. We cannot thank the staff at Essential Energy enough for the time and effort they allocate to support Clontarf students through a wide range of social engagement and employment based activities, culminating in the employment of a number of our Year 12 graduates. As a business, Essential Energy has clearly demonstrated 100 per cent commitment to making a genuine difference in ‘closing the gap’."
Gerard Neesham, CEO, Clontarf Foundation



The Girls Academy

Our partnership with the Girls Academy started in 2018 and focusses on working collaboratively to increase skills and improve employability, mental health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls. We attend and are proud sponsors of the annual Girls Academy Year 12 Summit and look forward to being able to offer employment pathways to Girls Academy students as we continue to develop the partnership.

"Striving for equality for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls is a critical step in the building of a fairer and better Australia. At Girls Academy we use education and employment opportunities to empower individual girls so that they can live a life of choice, rather than one of chance. We know that by developing these aspirational and inspiring girls, we are changing communities. It’s a huge challenge that requires a collaborative approach, that’s why partnerships such as the one we maintain with Essential Energy are important to our success. With Essential Energy‘s support, we are making a meaningful difference in the lives of local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls."
Ricky Grace, CEO, Girls Academy
CareerTrackers Intern Program
Our partnership with CareerTrackers also commenced in 2018, with a Bachelor of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering (Honours) student from the University of Newcastle joining us as an intern. We look forward to hosting further interns in the future and providing opportunities for participants to transition into our Graduate Program.



Pre-Employment Program

Our Pre-Employment Program launched in 2017 and focusses on providing opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men and women through 12-month traineeships. A combination of formal and on-the-job training provides participants with electrical skills and knowledge, literacy and numeracy skills development and workplace experiences. Fifteen trainees from the first three years of the program are currently in our Apprenticeship Program, which is a 94 per cent retention rate. Another three trainees are undertaking the program in 2020.

Tom Hammond
Tom Hammond, a Kamilaroi man, joined Essential Energy in 2017 as a participant on the PreEmployment Program and successfully transitioned into the Apprentice Program in 2018. Tom heard about the job opportunity through his involvement with the Clontarf Foundation during school.
"Clontarf told me Essential Energy were looking for people for their new Pre-Employment Program so I thought I would apply. I have gained so many skills during my time with Essential Energy which I can use both inside and outside of work. It is a good place to work with good people who really look after you."
Tom Hammond






Scholarship Program

Our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Scholarship Program started in 2018 and provides financial support, combined with vacation work in our business – opening the door for securing a graduate position upon conclusion of study. It recognises the financial and social barriers which can often hinder educational pathways. Two students are currently enrolled in the program, through the University of New England and the University of Newcastle.

Ebony Adams
A proud Gamilaroi woman, Ebony Adams is in her fourth year at the University of New England (UNE), studying a Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Law. Ebony was awarded an Essential Energy Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Scholarship in 2018, while in her second year of study. Prior to receiving the scholarship, Ebony worked part-time six days a week to support her studies. Working this amount of time every week on top of studying full-time was difficult and took a toll on her studies and emotional wellbeing.
"Having Essential Energy support me financially has changed my life, enabling me to focus more on my studies and to participate in extracurricular activities that I was not able to do before receiving this scholarship."
Ebony Adams


In 2019 Ebony was elected as the President of the UNE Indigenous Students Association, and invited to speak at the UNE NAIDOC ceremony and to be the Master of Ceremonies at the prestigious UNE Annual Frank Archibald Memorial Lecture.





Cultural awareness and education sessions

As we continue to focus on increasing the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees in our business, we understand the importance of creating a culturally safe workplace, in which Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples feel empowered to celebrate their identities. For the past three years, we have sought to drive cultural change across the business by delivering 97 cultural awareness and education sessions to more than 1,100 employees in 53 locations. The sessions focus on educating employees about conscious inclusion, helping employees to be culturally appropriate when engaging with our increasingly diverse workforce and helping to build an inclusive work environment.



Community engagement

With strong foundations in regional, rural and remote NSW, we recognise the importance of understanding and respecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ cultures and histories as we work towards Reconciliation. Our Reconciliation journey so far has included participating in local community events, including NAIDOC Week and National Reconciliation Week – to connect with local communities and their cultures. Additionally, our Customer Advocacy Group (CAG) includes Indigenous representation, alongside a diversity of members from different ages, locations, genders and industries. The CAG meets four times every year to consult on many different issues, from regulatory proposals to bushfire preparedness.
John Cleland, CEO, at NAIDOC Week celebrations 2019



Ikara-Flinders Ranges Challenge

Our Reconciliation journey to date has included rewarding employee engagement. In 2019, Malcolm Monson, Dunghutti man and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Working Group Lead (2017-19), participated in the Ikara-Flinders Ranges Challenge, trekking 100 km to raise more than $3,750 to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, research and communities through the University of Newcastle. The entire challenge raised more than $155,000.

"It was an incredibly rewarding experience, one which I will never forget. I can’t tell you the sense of satisfaction I feel knowing I have contributed to the health and education of future Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander generations."
Malcolm Monson, Dunghutti Nation, Electrical Safety Specialist


Clontarf Foundation

Our partnerships and programs focus on creating education and employment opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, through trade and professional career pathways. One of the best ways to build an inclusive and diverse workforce is to partner with organisations that share our values and can help build connections with peoples and communities. We recognise that engagement requires relationships built on trust and that real connection only happens when these relationships are embraced. By enabling more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to join and grow within our workforce, and by drawing on their skills, capabilities and unique life experiences, we aim to work with peoples and communities to improve socioeconomic outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities.
Our partnership with the Clontarf Foundation commenced in 2018 and is all about improving the education, life-skills, self-esteem and employment prospects of young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men. We engage with students through annual employment forums across NSW. This partnership has already resulted in two Clontarf Alumni joining our Pre-Employment and Apprenticeship programs.

"Essential Energy has been a fantastic partner of the Clontarf Foundation, assisting us in our quest to positively change the lives of thousands of Aboriginal boys, their families and communities across New South Wales. We cannot thank the staff at Essential Energy enough for the time and effort they allocate to support Clontarf students through a wide range of social engagement and employment based activities, culminating in the employment of a number of our Year 12 graduates. As a business, Essential Energy has clearly demonstrated 100 per cent commitment to making a genuine difference in ‘closing the gap’."
Gerard Neesham, CEO, Clontarf Foundation



The Girls Academy

Our partnership with the Girls Academy started in 2018 and focusses on working collaboratively to increase skills and improve employability, mental health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls. We attend and are proud sponsors of the annual Girls Academy Year 12 Summit and look forward to being able to offer employment pathways to Girls Academy students as we continue to develop the partnership.

"Striving for equality for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls is a critical step in the building of a fairer and better Australia. At Girls Academy we use education and employment opportunities to empower individual girls so that they can live a life of choice, rather than one of chance. We know that by developing these aspirational and inspiring girls, we are changing communities. It’s a huge challenge that requires a collaborative approach, that’s why partnerships such as the one we maintain with Essential Energy are important to our success. With Essential Energy‘s support, we are making a meaningful difference in the lives of local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls."
Ricky Grace, CEO, Girls Academy
CareerTrackers Intern Program
Our partnership with CareerTrackers also commenced in 2018, with a Bachelor of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering (Honours) student from the University of Newcastle joining us as an intern. We look forward to hosting further interns in the future and providing opportunities for participants to transition into our Graduate Program.



Pre-Employment Program

Our Pre-Employment Program launched in 2017 and focusses on providing opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men and women through 12-month traineeships. A combination of formal and on-the-job training provides participants with electrical skills and knowledge, literacy and numeracy skills development and workplace experiences. Fifteen trainees from the first three years of the program are currently in our Apprenticeship Program, which is a 94 per cent retention rate. Another three trainees are undertaking the program in 2020.

Tom Hammond
Tom Hammond, a Kamilaroi man, joined Essential Energy in 2017 as a participant on the PreEmployment Program and successfully transitioned into the Apprentice Program in 2018. Tom heard about the job opportunity through his involvement with the Clontarf Foundation during school.
"Clontarf told me Essential Energy were looking for people for their new Pre-Employment Program so I thought I would apply. I have gained so many skills during my time with Essential Energy which I can use both inside and outside of work. It is a good place to work with good people who really look after you."
Tom Hammond






Scholarship Program

Our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Scholarship Program started in 2018 and provides financial support, combined with vacation work in our business – opening the door for securing a graduate position upon conclusion of study. It recognises the financial and social barriers which can often hinder educational pathways. Two students are currently enrolled in the program, through the University of New England and the University of Newcastle.

Ebony Adams
A proud Gamilaroi woman, Ebony Adams is in her fourth year at the University of New England (UNE), studying a Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Law. Ebony was awarded an Essential Energy Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Scholarship in 2018, while in her second year of study. Prior to receiving the scholarship, Ebony worked part-time six days a week to support her studies. Working this amount of time every week on top of studying full-time was difficult and took a toll on her studies and emotional wellbeing.
"Having Essential Energy support me financially has changed my life, enabling me to focus more on my studies and to participate in extracurricular activities that I was not able to do before receiving this scholarship."
Ebony Adams


In 2019 Ebony was elected as the President of the UNE Indigenous Students Association, and invited to speak at the UNE NAIDOC ceremony and to be the Master of Ceremonies at the prestigious UNE Annual Frank Archibald Memorial Lecture.





Cultural awareness and education sessions

As we continue to focus on increasing the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees in our business, we understand the importance of creating a culturally safe workplace, in which Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples feel empowered to celebrate their identities. For the past three years, we have sought to drive cultural change across the business by delivering 97 cultural awareness and education sessions to more than 1,100 employees in 53 locations. The sessions focus on educating employees about conscious inclusion, helping employees to be culturally appropriate when engaging with our increasingly diverse workforce and helping to build an inclusive work environment.



Community engagement

With strong foundations in regional, rural and remote NSW, we recognise the importance of understanding and respecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ cultures and histories as we work towards Reconciliation. Our Reconciliation journey so far has included participating in local community events, including NAIDOC Week and National Reconciliation Week – to connect with local communities and their cultures. Additionally, our Customer Advocacy Group (CAG) includes Indigenous representation, alongside a diversity of members from different ages, locations, genders and industries. The CAG meets four times every year to consult on many different issues, from regulatory proposals to bushfire preparedness.
John Cleland, CEO, at NAIDOC Week celebrations 2019



Ikara-Flinders Ranges Challenge

Our Reconciliation journey to date has included rewarding employee engagement. In 2019, Malcolm Monson, Dunghutti man and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Working Group Lead (2017-19), participated in the Ikara-Flinders Ranges Challenge, trekking 100 km to raise more than $3,750 to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, research and communities through the University of Newcastle. The entire challenge raised more than $155,000.

"It was an incredibly rewarding experience, one which I will never forget. I can’t tell you the sense of satisfaction I feel knowing I have contributed to the health and education of future Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander generations."
Malcolm Monson, Dunghutti Nation, Electrical Safety Specialist


Page last updated: 29 Apr 2021, 11:57 AM