For Coles, one of Australia’s largest retailers, a commitment to First Nations employment is not a program that lives in a policy document. It’s embedded in the organisation’s strategy, operationalised through dedicated teams and community partnerships, and measured not just by placements but by the career trajectories of the people involved.
At the Third Annual Employer Awards, Coles was named the winner of the First Nations Excellence Award, recognising employer partners who demonstrate leadership in creating culturally safe and sustainable employment opportunities for First Nations peoples.
Coles’ national footprint spans supermarkets, liquor stores, and distribution centres across all states and territories, with strong engagement from regional communities. Its work with Asuria is primarily centred in Albury and Sydney, where the organisation maintains significant operational sites and deep community ties.
The organisation’s ‘Win Together’ and ‘Care Deeply’ values are given practical expression through targeted recruitment pathways, culturally safe onboarding, and dedicated roles including First Nations team member advocates. In Sydney, Coles’ First Nations Talent Team partnered with Asuria’s National Partnership Manager to reserve roles in supermarkets and distribution centres, offering direct pathways with personalised, culturally attuned support.
In Albury, the 2025 Future Foundations program — delivered in April in partnership with Asuria, local Elders, and community groups — equipped nine participants with job-readiness training, cultural mentoring, store visits, and guaranteed interviews. Six commenced employment, with four retained long-term. An Elder-guided Welcome to Country opened the program, honouring the land, reinforcing participant identity, and building confidence from day one.
Coles’ recruitment processes have also been adapted to reflect local realities. In-person walk-ins, on-the-spot discussions, coordinated onboarding, and regular cultural check-ins with both store managers and Asuria’s First Nations Mentor have replaced more formal processes that created unnecessary barriers. The result is a recruitment experience built on trust rather than compliance.
What the judges found most compelling, however, was Coles’ investment in what comes after placement. Leadership programs, culturally informed mentoring, and dedicated pathways into department leadership and store management positions signal a long-term commitment to increasing First Nations representation at senior and influential levels of the company. First Nations employees have access to dedicated mentors from Coles’ First Nations Recruitment and Talent teams who guide them on workplace culture, career planning, and skills development. Internal career pathways are made visible, accessible, and culturally safe.
In 2025, Coles placed seven First Nations participants through Asuria, including one principal carer parent, four vulnerable young people, and five long-term unemployed individuals.
The judges noted Coles’ “long-term commitment to increasing First Nations employment embedded in their organisational strategy” and their work with local Indigenous communities to operationalise that commitment. They were particularly impressed by Coles’ focus on “providing career paths, not just jobs, by providing leadership training, culturally informed mentoring, and targeted leadership opportunities for First Nations staff — both to help individuals build confidence, skills and capability, but also to increase representation of First Nations people in senior and influential roles throughout the company.”
Asuria CEO Nicole Grainger-Marsh said the award recognised what genuine long-term commitment looks like in practice. “Coles hasn’t approached First Nations employment as a numbers exercise. They’ve asked what it actually takes for a First Nations person to not just start a job, but build a career — and then built the systems, partnerships, and cultural support to make that possible. That’s the standard we hope this award inspires others to reach for.”
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