Volvo Group Australia has announced a partnership with and The Family Co., that will see more than 3,000 transport industry workers across Australia educated on domestic and family violence over the next 12 months through the Toolbox Talks Workplace Training Initiative.
The Volvo Group has funded these training sessions, which will be delivered by the highly skilled and experienced Toolbox Talks team from The Family Co. in all states.
VGA has funded the program through its Seasonal Gift charitable donations program.
The gift is given from VGA on behalf of its employees to contribute to resolve society’s challenges in local markets, serving to create prosperity in the communities. In recognition of the growing problem of domestic violence in Australia, Volvo Group Australia felt that it was an important issue to show leadership on.
“We are incredibly proud to bring a confronting, yet necessary conversation to the workshops, offices and transport yards that make up the Australian transport industry, a conversation that will ultimately lead to increased safety for women, children and men across Australia,” said president and CEO of VGA, Martin Merrick.
“By improving awareness around domestic and family violence and its impacts, promoting positive male influences, challenging rigid stereotypes, and upskilling workers in bystander intervention, the program endeavours to create safer homes and communities,” said Martin Merrick.
“We were attracted to this program because of the way it embrace’s men’s role in the conversation, and contributes to conversations around diversity in the workplace, equality and improved culture.
“We are eager to roll out this program across the country, and not only integrate the program into our own workplace but share it with our dealers and their customers as well,” he added
The Toolbox Talks program from The Family Co., utilises the experience and knowledge from more than 34 years of frontline support work to provide a practical program covering education that engage the community in the fight against alarming national domestic violence statistics.
The program was established in 2017 and has already trained more than 10,000 people across Australia. With a focus on male dominated industries, the program enjoyed early success within the construction industry, and has now branched out into other industries such as mining, maritime, hospitality and retail.
“We’re excited that this new partnership with VGA, one of Australia’s largest automotive manufacturers, gives us an opportunity to educate more people about domestic and family violence, and through practical guidance, encourage appropriate bystander responses and behavioural change that will significantly contribute to the cultural change needed in Australia to achieve improvement in this social issue.” said Ashleigh Daines, CEO of The Family Co.
“We hope that others across a variety of sectors will follow in VGA’s lead and similarly look at Toolbox Talks as a way to shape genuine change within not just their workplace, but communities across Australia as well,” Ashleigh added.
