HUMAN RESOURCES
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Jarrad OakleyNicholls (centre) with Wirrpanda Foundation participants
didn’t think much about my involvement alone. Upon reflection, I was pleased that I was able to contribute to a successful turnaround by aligning key parties to deliver a scope in the timeframe that we had,” she says. Executed in late 2015, the key turnaround performance indicators were all met, specifically zero safety recordable incidents, schedule targets and with a cost $40 million below the previous comparable event. Speaking to Resource People a few weeks after her award win, Annie, now Viva Energy’s turnaround execution co-ordinator, is leading preparation for another turnaround at the refinery. This time it involves the Catalytic Cracker – one of the most important pieces of equipment used in the petroleum conversion process. “This one is twice as big as the previous turnaround and there will be many hundreds of people on site,” she says. “It’s a massive undertaking but you end up with such a sense of achievement when we complete a safe turnaround on budget and schedule.” It’s fair to say Annie’s up for the challenge.
Oakley-Nicholls finds passion
member of the foundation’s team. “It was at the Wirrpanda Foundation that I discovered what I wanted to The concept of ‘paying if forward’ is do after footy. I didn’t have the something Jarrad Oakley-Nicholls technical skills to fall into the job, but practices daily. the foundation put that trust in me At the age of 17, the talented and employed me on my behavioural Australian rules footballer was drafted competencies,” he says. to the Richmond Tigers Football Club Six years on and while still finding and spent six years in the AFL system time to play with the East Perth when he began to wonder what the Football Club, Jarrad is now manager future had in store. of employment programs at the “I had never held what I considered foundation and has been instrumental a ‘normal’ job,” Oakley Nicholls, now in developing its pre-employment 28, says. “Half way through my final year in the model that assesses a candidate’s behavioural competencies for AFL I sat back and thought if this is to employment. end, what do I have to fall back on?” With the foundation being a Vocational It was at that time Jarrad, a Yamatji Training and Employment Centre Koori Noongar Kija man, became involved with the Wirrpanda Foundation. (VTEC) in Western Australia for mining, construction and oil and gas, the model Established by AFL legend David has been critical to reaching a target to Wirrpanda in 2005, the foundation fill 230 industry jobs with unemployed supports the education, employment Indigenous men and women. and health of Aboriginal and Torres “During my time working in the Strait Islanders. employment space, I have seen a An opportunity to join as a mentor rotating door of people going in and out ignited a passion for assisting Indigenous people into employment and of work, or being continuously knocked back by employers,” Jarrad says. saw Jarrad fast become an influential » with Wirrpanda Foundation
RESOURCEPEOPLE | SPRING 2016 | www.amma.org.au