Honeywell launch third RAP in support of Reconciliation Australia

Fri, 1st Jul 2022

FYI, this story is more than a year old

Honeywell has launched its third Reconciliation Action Plan and second Innovate RAP in support of Reconciliation Australia.

Developed in partnership with Reconciliation Australia, this RAP guides Honeywell's commitment to building equal opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and providing a workplace in which Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples feel culturally safe, included, and acknowledged.

Honeywell issued its Reflect RAP in 2017 and its first Innovate RAP in 2018. Since 2017, Honeywell has undergone a significant cultural shift to work towards the goals of reconciliation. Honeywell has partnered with a number of First Nations Australian owned businesses and worked internally to embed cultural awareness and sensitivity into the entire organisational structure. To date, Honeywell has increased spending with First Nation Australian businesses by 732% spend along the entire supply chain.

Honeywell's second Innovate RAP will further help the organisation create a diverse and inclusive workplace and provide the framework for building stronger relationships, respect and opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The RAP will also help maintain a clear vision of governance and a reporting structure to track the plan's progress.

“Since 2006, RAPs have provided a framework for organisations to leverage their structures and diverse spheres of influence to support the national reconciliation movement,” says Karen Mundine, chief executive officer of Reconciliation Australia.

“With over 2.3 million people now either working or studying in an organisation with a RAP, the program's potential for impact is greater than ever. We are thrilled to see that Honeywell has taken goodwill and is transforming it into action to provide a meaningful impact towards Australia's reconciliation journey.”

To help drive its program's success, Honeywell created a business-funded Indigenous Participation Program (IPP) to create a greater foundation and guide to delivering on actions that emphasise Indigenous engagement, employment, procurement, cultural change, and the creation of partnerships within the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

The company has implemented changes to help drive inclusivity and opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, including having:

Launched an Indigenous Engineering Scholarship Program that has provided 18 engineering scholarships to Indigenous students since 2018.
Created a four-year apprenticeship program through MEGT to complete trade qualifications in electronics and communications, where up to 50% of apprenticeship positions are reserved for Indigenous candidates.
Implemented an early career program called STEM Pathways that strengthened relationships with higher education and helped build on engagement and communication with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander talent.
Improved efforts to attract Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander candidates for general and technical opportunities, resulting in an increased number of Indigenous engineering candidates at the company.

“Over the past five years, Honeywell has worked to embrace the five dimensions of reconciliation and to actively integrate them into our operations and culture,” says Heather Torrey, general manager, Honeywell Safety and Productivity Solutions, Pacific Region.

“As a member of Honeywell's dedicated RAP working group, I am encouraged by the significant progress we have made, but there's still a great deal to do.

"As we embark on our second Innovate RAP, we are committed to continued listening, learning and understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and their history to continue to create and foster a culture of inclusivity and diverse thinking for a better future for all Australians.

Reconciliation Australia created the RAP program in 2006 to provide a framework for organisations to use their structures and diverse spheres of influence to support the national reconciliation movement. Honeywell supports Reconciliation Australia's vision for a just, equitable and reconciled country that aims to inspire and enable all citizens to contribute to reconciliation with First Nations Australian peoples.