Magabala Books announces First Nations’ publishing cadetship

Magabala Books has announced it will create a new cadetship for First Nations publishing professionals. The cadetship program will provide on-the-job training, professional development and sustainable employment, with mentorship from Magabala publisher Rachel Bin Salleh.

In early 2020, Magabala received initial project funding from the state government of Western Australia, through a Kimberley Development Commission RED Grant, to establish the cadetship, which seeks to create a meaningful career pathway and leadership opportunity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people within the publishing industry.

Over the course of the two-year program, which will be based in Broome, cadets will gain experience across all areas of publishing and the organisation. At the successful completion of the program, the cadet will be offered an ongoing position as an employee of Magabala—this may be in the publishing team or in other areas—and a second cadet will then be appointed. Cadets may be entry-level or graduate applicants.

‘Magabala acknowledges that publishing is a unique profession, requiring both generalist and technical skills,’ said the publisher. ‘By initiating a supportive and scaffolded on-the-job training program within Australia’s leading Indigenous publishing house, Magabala seeks to provide First Nations’ publishing professionals with the best possible chance to succeed in their careers.’

Bin Salleh, who is Australia’s only Indigenous publisher, said, ‘This cadetship is about achieving real employment outcomes. A career in publishing needs to be the right fit for the right person and must be culturally safe. We want to support First Nations professionals to pursue a career in whichever role they’re interested in, whether that be as publisher, editor, publicist or designer.’

Magabala anticipates that the first cadetship will open for applications in early 2021.

Category: Local news