Substantive equality

PathWest is committed to improving health outcomes and increasing opportunities for Aboriginal people through various recruitment and training initiatives. In addition, PathWest is also stepping up Aboriginal cultural awareness throughout the organisation, with a focus on integrating cultural identity and enrichment.

As part of this, PathWest employs the WA Health Substantive Equality Policy and addresses all forms of systemic discrimination in service delivery. PathWest recognises the importance of a diverse workforce and upholds the principles of substantive equality.

Aboriginal workforce

As part of the Aboriginal Workforce Policy (Employment Policy Framework) and in support of the PSC's Aboriginal employment target of 3.2 per cent, PathWest continues work to increase Aboriginal employment within its workforce.

Initiatives include:

• The application of section 51 of the Equal Opportunity Act 1984 to recruitment processes.
• Identifying employment pathways for Aboriginal people.
• Offering employment opportunities for Aboriginal cadets, interns, graduates and/or trainees.
• Offering employment opportunities to Aboriginal Allied Health and Health Science graduates.

PathWest offers an Aboriginal scholarship program allowing successful applicants to complete PathWest’s six-week Certificate III in Pathology Collection course. The scholarship covers all course costs including vaccinations, course materials and textbooks. The program specifically targets those seeking a career in phlebotomy and specimen collection and provides graduates with a three-month fixed term contract with PathWest. 

Cultural awareness training

All staff are required to complete the mandatory Aboriginal Cultural eLearning course, which was released to all WA health system employees during 2021. This new module was developed to continue to promote a culturally competent and responsive workforce and builds on the success of the previous learning package from 2015.

Equal employment opportunities

The new PathWest Equal Employment Opportunity Management Plan has been finalised and is expected to be implemented in 2021/22. The plan will address outcomes in accordance with the Equal Opportunities Act 1984.

As part of the Aboriginal Workforce Policy (Employment Policy Framework) and in support of the PSC's Aboriginal employment target of 3.2 per cent, PathWest continued work to increase Aboriginal employment within its workforce.

The Public Sector Commission (PSC) released the Workforce Diversification and Inclusion Strategy for WA Public Sector Employment 2020-2025. This initiative developed a strategic action plan identifying diversity groups as well as specific and aspirational targets for some of these groups to increase their representation in public sector employment. The identified diversity groups are;

• Women in Senior Executive Service (SES)
• Youth Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
• Culturally and Linguistically diverse people
• People with disability
• People of diverse sexualities and genders. 

Language services

Consistent with the WA Health System Language Services Policy, PathWest staff have access to language assistance services to ensure all customers or clients who require assistance with English or who are deaf or hard of hearing are provided with access to appropriate interpreting and translation assistance.