2023 SPONSORS
The nominations DCN receives each year for this awards category evidence industry’s commitment to creating a diverse and inclusive workforce.
The opportunity to nominate for this special award is approaching deadline – nominations for the 2023 Australian Shipping & Maritime Industry Awards will close at 1700 on Wednesday 4 October.
The Diversity and Inclusion Award was initially introduced into the category line-up as the Gender Diversity Award. The award has since evolved to celebrate individuals and organisations dedicated to cultivating inclusive shipping and maritime logistics sectors.
Australian Maritime Systems Group, a South East Queensland-based company, received the Diversity and Inclusion Award in 2022 for its dedicated Indigenous employment scheme.
AMS Group launched the program in 2019 when a local sand mine closed down. The mine had been an important source of employment for the Quandamooka people, and AMS Group wanted to create a new employment pathway for the young people of the community.
A spokesperson for AMS Group told DCN that winning the Diversity and Inclusion Award was the first formal recognition of the company’s commitment to share its business success in ways that meaningfully impact people’s lives.
“Our continued engagement with the Quandamooka peoples and other First Nation communities around Australia is central to our cultural alignment to the special work we perform in regional and remote communities,” the spokesperson said.
They said the many nominees for the award demonstrated the changing face of the traditional maritime sector worker.
“At AMS Group, our staff embrace this shift and it is reflected in the increased role of women, cultural appropriateness and making an effort to break stereotypes across all aspects of our complex organisation.
“We must remind ourselves that change is not easy or natural. If we want it to succeed, it takes a concerted effort and strong leadership. AMS Group is proud to lead and invest resources to improve outcomes for the maritime industry – or at least the little part we play within it.”
The sponsor behind the 2023 Diversity and Inclusion Award is the Port Authority of New South Wales.
Port Authority of NSW CEO Philip Holliday said the organisation embraces diversity in all its forms and is proud to sponsor this year’s award.
“Awards like this celebrate how important diversity is in an organisation as it brings a wide range of perspectives, experiences and skills to the table, while fostering innovation and problem-solving,” Mr Holliday said.
“Diversity in the workforce results in many benefits as it helps to generate new ideas that can lead to improved efficiency and productivity as well as promoting inclusivity and equality.
“As an organisation operating ports, we are the gateway where New South Wales meets the world. Employees from diverse backgrounds bring cultural competence and empathy as well as greater understanding of our customer’s needs, enabling them to effectively engage and serve a diverse customer base.”
How to nominate
The Diversity and Inclusion Award seeks to identify, recognise and reward companies in the shipping and maritime logistics industry that embrace and embed fairness, diversity, equity and inclusion.
Nominations are closing soon for this year’s awards, and all of industry is invited to get involved. You can nominate yourself, a customer or a client for this, or any category. Submissions close at 1700 on 4 October 2023.
Click here for the full list of awards categories, and here to submit your nomination.
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