BGIS offers facilities management jobs to Indigenous graduates

28 February 2022

The fifth Bennelong Cup was a huge success, with over 30 NRL School to Work, Souths Cares Nanga Mai Marri and Clontarf Foundation 2021 program graduates joining former NRL stars such as Cliff Lyons, Anthony Mundine and Steve Menzies, as well as corporate partners, in a friendly game of touch football to vie for the Bennelong Cup.

After the competition – which featured eighteen teams – a luncheon for 350 people was held at South Cares, where students were presented with Bennelong Cup scholarship programs and offered apprenticeships with BGIS, Cushman & Wakefield, CBRE, Ventia, Skyline Landscapes, Vivid, Intrec Management and Bennelong Energy Services (BES). Over 30 young Indigenous leaders and graduates took part in both events.

The NRL School to Work team and Souths Cares, in collaboration with BES and BGIS, hosted the events. Event Organiser and Director at Bennelong Energy Services, Gaven Sheehan said, “The events continue to grow year on year and most importantly identify more employment opportunities for Indigenous students. The facilities management industry is one of the biggest employers in the country. The events are about finding the next generation to service our industry.

“Supporting Indigenous families and their children to find rewarding jobs is an important part of the work we do at BES and was a key driver for establishing the Bennelong Cup.”

“Since the Bennelong Cup began, more than 50 positions have been taken up by Indigenous students, 15 of which were offered this year in the fields of carpentry, electrical and administration. Sport has proven to be an excellent catalyst for bringing employers and future employees together in a non-confrontational social context,” Mr Sheehan added.

“BGIS has a strong and rewarding relationship with the NRL School to Work program, and we’re thrilled to sponsor the Bennelong Cup for the fourth consecutive year,” said Brad Robbins, BGIS’ Managing Director – Operations & Defence. “The event provides a fantastic forum to build relationships with the talented young Indigenous men and women in the program, and give back to the communities in which we operate.

“Through Bennelong Cup initiatives, we’ve been able to provide trade apprenticeships to twelve students from the NRL School to Work program. Our vision is to create opportunities that lead to positive economic, social and educational outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities, and the Bennelong Cup – in addition to our Stretch Reconciliation Action Plan and partnerships with various Indigenous programs, suppliers and not-for-profits – enables us to realise this goal.”

Media contact: Cloe Maxwell 0400 004 878 | cloe.maxwell@apac.bgis.com