Access and Inclusion: an important award for our friends at Port Augusta City Council in South Australia

Diversity and inclusion are a key part of our mission and that’s why we’re delighted to announce that a program supported by our colleagues at Enel Green Power Australia (EGPA) recently won an important award. We operate the Bungala Solar Farm (with a total capacity of 275 MW, powering around 113,000 homes each year), and we work closely with the city of Port Augusta, which lies about 13 kilometres (eight miles) to the south. In particular, we fund the City Council’s Access and Inclusion Program, which was honored at the 23rd Annual Leadership Excellence Awards Gala Dinner. The event was organized by the South Australia branch of Local Government Professionals and was held in the state’s capital, Adelaide, on May 10. Local heroes The award-winning program facilitated employment opportunities for ten local community members with disabilities who had been unemployed for an extended period. As part of the program, participants underwent intensive training for 26 weeks, thereby enabling them to acquire critical skills for pursuing future employment locally. As for EGPA’s role in the program, the company’s Sustainability and Community Engagement Officer Giulia Scataglini says: “We’d like to acknowledge the outstanding work done by the Port Augusta City Council in developing and successfully delivering this program. EGPA is proud to act as a partner for this meaningful initiative. The program has delivered tangible work skills and job readiness results for people in the local area with disabilities.” A major challenge Representatives from Port Augusta City Council emphasize that the program focused on empowerment in the community and addressing critical issues such as unemployment among individuals with disabilities: “18.2% of the Port Augusta population is unemployed, as opposed to the state average of 15.6% (according to the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics Census). Furthermore, people with a disability are 48% more likely to be unemployed. Council, like all employers, can provide opportunities to change this,” adds Strategy, People, and Culture Manager for Port Augusta City Council, Theressa Hines. John Banks, the Council’s CEO, expressed immense pride in its achievement, stating: "This win highlights our commitment to diversity and inclusion within our workplace and our community. It’s terrific to see Port Augusta City Council creating a more inclusive work environment and upskilling participants so that they can be ready for jobs within the broader public and private sectors. We’re pleased that most of the participants are now in permanent employment as a result of the program."

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Access and Inclusion: an important award for our friends at Port Augusta City Council in South Australia

Access and Inclusion: an important award for our friends at Port Augusta City Council in South Australia