What Happened at CONVERGE Conference 2018?
Over 100 First Nations Media representatives got together from all over Australia for CONVERGE conference in Brisbane recently.
The conference was organised by the Indigenous Remote Communications Association (IRCA) and hosted by Brisbane Indigenous Media Association (BIMA).
IRCA invited CMTO to attend and learn all about this incredibly unique and diverse sector.
The recurring theme at CONVERGE was “the responsibility of First Nations media to push against the tide of mainstream dialogues about and on behalf of First Nations people”.
CMTO CEO, Giordana Caputo and National Training Manger, Emma Couch were excited to learn about this important issue and what opportunities there are for the CMTO as a Registered Training Organisation.
Engaging in conversations with a number of stations that attended the conference led us to realising some new opportunities for pathways courses in areas of Management and Governance.
Succession planning and replenishing work forces in urban, regional and remote areas was a topic of particular focus, due to the 90% Indigenous employment policy introduced for IAS funding recipients, which impacts many organisations in the First Nations Media sector.
During the conference, CMTO CEO, Giordana Caputo, participated in the Employment and Skills Development Industry panel.
The panel highlighted the need for training and support for First Nations media workers in transferable multi-platform production skills and management skills.
The CMTO appreciated the chance to listen and learn from the representatives of First Nations Media on the panel, which was facilitated by Pauline Clague of the Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education & Research at UTS.
For us, the biggest takeaway was realising new opportunities and how we can utilise training as a pathway to further education and career opportunities