Empowering First Nations Students

Empowering First Nations Students, the Indigenous Scholarships Program’s sole aim is to increase the number of Indigenous Australians with either tertiary or trade qualifications.

With a focus on the resources sector, the program is a partnership between Shell’s QGC business and Waalitj Foundation. It prioritizes scholarships for Traditional Owners Groups within Shell’s QGC operating area.

Every scholarship winner gets to create their own Career Plan with a mentor, making sure they have access to every available opportunity to succeed. This program is shaped by input from Traditional Owners to ensure it hits the mark.

Local Indigenous staff running the program can tweak it to fit their community’s and individual needs.

The program has already changed lives.

Arwa Gulf is studying a Certificate III in Work Health Safety. Part of her traineeship is with Harness Energy Services in Chinchilla.

Image credit: https://wf.org.au/

“Being part of the Waalitj Foundation Indigenous Scholarship Program has supported me by taking the weight of financial burden off my shoulders and allowing me to work hard and focus on my studies”

Sean Yorston was balancing work and study, working at Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Promotion and hitting the books in his free time, studying a Bachelor of Applied Science.

Image credit: https://wf.org.au/

“I reckon one of the biggest barriers for a lot of Indigenous students that want to pursue academia is the financial side of things and the debt they incur when undertaking three- and four-year degrees,” he said.

“That support is a massive help and takes that stress away from things like buying a new computer or putting it towards university resources.”

At the conclusion of his studies, he was offered a role in Shell Logistics Assurance Support. A move Sean credits to the scholarship.

“[The Scholarship] provided that platform. The partnership between Shell and Waalitj Foundation – if they didn’t have that partnership then the opportunity for me to be in the doors at Shell definitely wouldn’t have happened and I wouldn’t be in the role I’m in now.”

The program has made an impact.

It was recognised in May at the Australian Energy Producers Conference & Exhibition 2024, winning the Community Development Excellence category at the Australian Energy Producers Excellence Awards.

“With more than 70 scholarships awarded since commencing in 2022, the program supports First Nations peoples linked to Traditional Owner groups within Shell QGC’s operational footprint to pursue tertiary or vocational training, by providing mentoring, leadership opportunities and career capacity building. We look forward to welcoming our 2024 recipients and supporting them with pathways to meaningful employment and practical skills to become job ready.”

Learn more about the Indigenous Scholarship Program and stay tuned for the 2024 intake application form at https://wf.org.au/