Jon Harris has joined ALPA as our new Higher Education Manager and brings with him a wealth of experience in indigenous employment and training. He will oversee the Regional Study Hubs in Nhulunbuy/Yirrkala, Galiwin’ku and Ramingining, a position previously held by Rebecca Arbon. Jon shares the vision of making education accessible to remote learners and is looking forward to focusing on partnerships with industry and education providers to grow outcomes for the region.

Born in Darwin, Jon says “on my mother’s side, I am a proud descendant of the Alyawarre clan. My grandma is from Alpurrurulam (Lake Nash), my skin name is Kngwarreye and my totem is the bat. Jon has a decade of experience working with Power and Water Corporation across remote operations, community engagement, and Aboriginal employment strategy. He also has seven years of experience with GTNT, having mentored Aboriginal trainees to be successful in their chosen careers. Jon has served as a volunteer for the past 11 years, 5 of these as the Chair, with Yilli Rreung Aboriginal Housing Corporation, which has an 80% Aboriginal skilled workforce.

The Higher Education Hubs play a key role in the ALPA Board’s goal to increase access to training and education for Yolgnu people. The hubs provide a community space for studying and face-to-face mentoring, including Language, Literacy and Numeracy (LLN) support. Jon is looking forward to fostering strong partnerships to support learning on the country through our hubs.