Leading resource logistics provider Bis in new partnership to support Aboriginal girls’ education

Bis, who have provided logistics, materials handling and specialised equipment services to the mining industry for more than 100 years, has formed a new partnership with Australia’s leading provider of in-school programs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls, the Girls Academy.

Bis CEO Brad Rogers said the Company was “proud to partner with Girls Academy, which helps thousands of Aboriginal girls overcome some of the common barriers which keep them from attending school”.

“At Bis, we foster an inclusive culture which embraces difference.  We also provide a range of opportunities in our business for women and Indigenous Australians to build a career in the mining industry,” he said.

The Girls Academy CEO Ricky Grace said private sector support was vital to the organisation’s efforts to close the gap in education outcomes.

“Our aspirational funding model includes one third from the business community and partners like Bis are vital to the work we do. We have grown significantly in recent years and now work with more than 2,500 students across Western Australia, New South Wales, Queensland and the Northern Territory – but there is still much work to be done,” he said.

“The Girls Academy encourages the girls to see they are somebody important and capable who can help themselves and help others as well. When these girls believe in themselves, they can achieve anything – and they will be the community leaders of the future.”

Bis General Manager – Off Road Load and Haul Arron Johnson said Bis believes in “empowering our local workforce through community engagement activities”, and is “glad to have the opportunity to support this powerful initiative in Gunnedah”.

The Girls Academy officially launched their Gunnedah Academy in 2017, and now works with more than 40 schools across Australia.

The Girls Academy program supports and encourages Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls to realise their full potential. The program is comprehensive, with a focus on school attendance, academic performance, health and wellbeing, post-school planning, and cultural connection.

80 percent of Girls Academy staff are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women.