Indigenous careers and employment

Indigenous careers

As one of Australia’s largest employers, we’re committed to boosting sustainable employment opportunities and successful career outcomes for our first people. We offer traineeships, internships, graduate programs and hire opportunities. While we know that creating sustainable employment is key to the economic and social well-being of Indigenous Australians, we’re also working across our business to create a workplace that is culturally aware and one that celebrates our Indigenous heritage.

Our Indigenous employment programs

Are you an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person looking for paid employment opportunities that will give you the experience you need to kickstart your career? Whether you already have experience and are looking to join NAB, we have a range of opportunities.

School based traineeships

Our school-based traineeships are for students in Year 11-12. They run for two years on a part time basis. During the traineeship, you’ll complete a Certificate II or III in Business, get on the job experience at one of our retail branches, and receive mentoring and career guidance from our employees and external partners.

If you’re interested in applying for a School-based traineeship please contact one of our Group Training Organisation partners. Maxima, opens in new window, MEGT, opens in new window & AES, opens in new window.

Adult based traineeships

Our adult traineeships are for those interested in a career in financial services. Traineeships are full time and run for 12 months. You’ll complete a Certificate II or III in Business, get on the job experience in a business placement at one of our retail branches, and receive mentoring and career guidance from our employees and external partners.

If you’re interested in applying for an adult traineeship please contact one of our Group Training Organisation partners. Maxima, opens in new window, MEGT, opens in new window & AES, opens in new window.

Internships for university students

NAB aims to bring the best and brightest Indigenous university students into our business. We aim to provide the best paid internship program in corporate Australia.

Our internships are for university students of an undergraduate or postgraduate degree. During the program you’ll gain insight into the banking and finance industry and be provided with mentoring to help you figure out what you want from your career and how to achieve it. We’ll help you develop your confidence and workplace skills and abilities, all the while getting exposure to a corporate environment.

Hire opportunities for experienced applicants

We’re always on the look-out for experienced Indigenous candidates interested in joining NAB. If you’re interested in joining us, please take a look at our current employment opportunities, opens in new window and see if there is a position that you may be interested in.

Improving cultural awareness across our business

We provide a range of opportunities for our people to lift their understanding and actively get involved through our cultural awareness initiatives. This includes cross cultural training, specialist experiences for our senior executives, employee secondments to the Kimberly region in Western Australia and skilled volunteering.

The Indigenous icon that features on the front cover and throughout our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) was developed by a group of our Emerging Indigenous Leaders, in partnership with a Bundjalung Elder from Fingal Heads. This icon was derived from the Banaam Cultural Framework, introduced during a cultural immersion session on Country. Featuring two boomerangs and a circular framework the icon represents our commitment to working with Indigenous Australia and the community. 

The Bundjalung relational framework is part of a reciprocal structure that differs from the corporate hierarchal structure. This framework focusses on expertise and support, with the aim of benefiting the whole community. This directly relates to how we view our role in collaborating with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. 

The four outer circles represent collaboration, connection, and the importance of community, with the customer being at the centre of everything we do. The boomerangs facing inward depict a positive and open partnership between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and NAB. They feature the colours of both the Aboriginal and the Torres Strait Islander flags, and our own corporate colours. We brought these striking colours together to illustrate our shared journey. It’s a powerful visual reminder of what we stand for and why. 

Our Indigenous icon has been artistically reimagined by Marcus Lee, and our RAP features both the original Indigenous icon, and these artistic interpretations.