Indigenous Women in Trades
Irene and her team
Irene Stanley is a business owner and founder of painting business, First Class Finish, in Alice Springs and Brisbane. Irene mentors and employs Indigenous women through trade certification in painting.
Looking to expand this vision to more trades, she invited Community First Development to walk alongside her to develop a website, create a business and strategic plan, and secure funding for additional training. With the support of two Community First Development volunteers, the new organisation now has a completed website and business plan, and has submitted three pending funding applications. The organisation’s strategic plan is developing well. Irene shared:
“The success of these projects means we will see more women becoming qualified and skilled employees in many different areas of trade. I’m just so thankful of [CDO] Alex and proud of what we have been able to achieve this week... Having a different set of eyes going over everything to make sure it’s perfect.”
In the future, Irene hopes to acquire a space both for operations and to serve as a “safe place” for women.