Jazz’s journey with Voyages

Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia demonstrates a commitment reconciliation all year through the sharing of country and culture with visitors to spectacular locations including Ayers Rock Resort and Mossman Gorge in tropical north Queensland. 

The tourism business provides training and career development opportunities to Indigenous Australians, equipping them with the skills they need to succeed into the future. 

MAX customer Jasmine (Jazz) Stedman is a proud Kamilaroi* woman and has recently joined the Voyages team as a Recruitment Administrator. In this role she works alongside MAX and job applicants from around the country hoping to secure a position in the respected Indigenous organisation. 

Before landing a role with Voyages through the MAX Employer Partnership team, Jazz had felt discouraged with job searching in the hospitality and tourism industry which had been heavily impacted by the pandemic. 

On the contrary, she now enjoys the responsibility and challenges that come her way in the new role. 

As she reflects on what she likes most about her new position, Jazz shares: “The best part of the job is meeting new people from different areas and being the person to offer these people roles that I know will change their lives,” she says.

She also appreciates the flexible working conditions available at Voyages, recognition for hard work, along with the support from colleagues and managers. 

Her MAX team have enjoyed watching Jazz’s transformation. 

Jazz is one of nearly 150 MAX customers who have joined the Voyages team since 2018. 

Voyages provides recruits with fantastic training and development opportunities including through their Indigenous traineeship program along with financial support to assist with relocation, accommodation, meals along with access to recreational facilities and a fun, vibrant and active community.

As we actively work towards reconciliation, Voyages’ commitment to creating training, employment and business opportunities for Indigenous Australians while also sharing authentic Indigenous experiences that are respectful and supportive of local cultures and communities is inspiring.

* The Kamilaroi/Gamilaray nation is one of the largest in Australia covering around 75,000 km2 of northern New South Wales (NSW) and southern Queensland (Qld). Centres now acknowledged within this nation include Tamworth, Moree, Lightening Ridge, Gunnedah, Boggabilla and Singleton. 

Gamilaraay is the primary language which was spoken across Kamilaroi country and includes a number of dialects including Yuwalaraay. Greetings include: "yaama maliyaa" (hello mate), "yaama baawaa" (hello sister), and "yaama dhagaan" (hello brother).

Like many others the Kamilaroi nation was impacted heavily by the government practice of forcibly removing Indigenous children from their families - now known as the Stolen Generation. It is reported that between 1883 and 1969, more than 6,200 children were stolen in NSW alone. 

For more information, visit these sites:
https://aiatsis.gov.au/
https://kamilaroianationsidentity.weebly.com/
http://www.yuwaalaraay.org/lessons/lesson1.html
 

To understand more about our commitment to reconciliation visit our RAP Progress Report.