NSWICC Employment & Careers Expo 2026

Connect. Discover. Act.

NSWICC Employment & Careers Expo 2026

2 November 2026

Rydges Resort, Hunter Valley | Wonnarua Country

 Connecting Indigenous Talent with Opportunity 

 In 2026, the NSW Indigenous Chamber of Commerce (NSWICC) will launch its inaugural Employment & Careers Expo – creating a dedicated space to connect Indigenous job seekers with employers, career pathways, training and opportunities.

Held on Wonnarua Country in the Hunter Valley as part of The Summit 2026, the Expo will bring together Indigenous people exploring employment and career opportunities with corporate and government employers, training providers and community organisations.

More than a traditional careers fair, the Expo is designed to create meaningful connections and conversations about employment, skills, career development and the pathways needed to build stronger Indigenous workforce participation.

Media are invited to attend and cover the inaugural Expo, with opportunities available for event coverage, interviews and pre-event stories.

Media Opportunities

 The inaugural NSWICC Employment & Careers Expo provides a new platform for conversations about Indigenous employment – bringing together the people seeking opportunities and the organisations with the capacity to create them. 
 
For media, it provides access to the people and conversations shaping Indigenous employment.
 
Media opportunities include:
 Attendance and coverage of the inaugural NSWICC Employment & Careers Expo;
Interviews with Indigenous job seekers and people exploring new career pathways;
Interviews with participating corporate and government employers;
Interviews with training providers and community organisations supporting Indigenous employment and skills development;
Interviews with NSWICC representatives about the decision to introduce employment and careers as a dedicated focus in 2026;
Stories exploring Indigenous employment, workforce participation, skills development and career pathways;
Photography and filming opportunities throughout the Expo; and
Pre-event interviews and feature opportunities in the lead-up to November.
 
 NSWICC can assist media with identifying relevant interviewees and coordinating interviews before and during the Expo. 
 
Register interest in attending and covering the Employment and Career Expo or request an interview
 
  

Story Angles

The Employment & Careers Expo provides an opportunity to explore Indigenous employment beyond headline employment figures – looking at the experiences of job seekers, employers and the organisations working to create sustainable career pathways. 

Potential story angles include:
Beyond Getting a Job: Building Indigenous Careers
Employment is only one part of the picture.
 
 What does it take to create genuine career pathways that provide Indigenous employees with opportunities to develop skills, progress into leadership and build long-term careers?
 
Connect Indigenous Talent with Employers
Employers across government and industry are seeking to increase Indigenous workforce participation, while Indigenous job seekers are looking for meaningful opportunities.
 
 Where is the disconnect – and how can employers and communities build stronger pathways between talent and opportunity?
 
From Commitment to Employment
Many organisations have Indigenous employment targets, Reconciliation Action Plans and workforce commitments.
 
The bigger question is how those commitments translate into genuine jobs, career progression and lasting workforce participation.
 
Creating Career Pathways into Major Industries
Infrastructure, renewable energy, construction, technology, professional services and other growing industries are creating new workforce opportunities across NSW.
 
How can Indigenous people be better connected with the training, qualifications, networks and entry points needed to participate in these industries?
 
Regional Jobs and Opportunities
For Indigenous people living in regional NSW, employment opportunities can look very different to those available in metropolitan areas.
 
The Expo provides an opportunity to explore regional workforce needs, local employment pathways and the role major projects and investment can play in creating opportunities closer to home.
 
What makes an Employer an Employer of Choice?
Recruitment is only the beginning.
 
Creating workplaces where Indigenous employees feel culturally safe, supported and able to build meaningful careers requires leadership, organisational commitment and an understanding of what successful Indigenous employment looks like in practice.
 
 

A New Addition to The Summit 2026

The Employment & Careers Expo is new to The Summit in 2026, expanding NSWICC's flagship annual event beyond its established focus on Indigenous business and procurement to create a dedicated conversation about employment and workforce participation.
  
Indigenous economic participation is about more than business ownership and procurement.
 
It is also about creating access to meaningful employment, developing skills, building careers and ensuring Indigenous people can participate in – and benefit from – the economic opportunities being created across NSW.
 
By bringing employers, job seekers, training providers and community organisations together in one place, NSWICC aims to help create stronger connections between employment commitments and real opportunities.
  
  

Who Will Be There?

The Employment & Careers Expo will bring together:

Indigenous job seekers and career changers looking to explore employment and career opportunities;

Students and emerging professionals considering their next steps;

Corporate employers seeking to connect with Indigenous talent and strengthen workforce participation;

Government employers with employment, graduate and career opportunities;

Training and education providers supporting skills development and pathways into employment; and

Community organisations working with Indigenous people to support employment, training and economic participation.

Together, these groups create an environment where conversations can move beyond recruitment to consider the entire employment pathway – from preparing for work and accessing training through to recruitment, retention and career progression.

 
  

Why Employment & Careers?

NSWICC has spent 20 years working to strengthen Indigenous economic participation across New South Wales.

Through our work with Indigenous businesses, communities, government and industry, we see both the opportunities being created across the NSW economy and the importance of ensuring Indigenous people are positioned to participate in them.

The Employment & Careers Expo extends that work by creating a dedicated platform for employment and career pathways.

It provides employers with an opportunity to engage directly with Indigenous talent and communities, while giving Indigenous participants greater visibility of the employers, industries, training and pathways available to them.

Most importantly, it creates space for genuine conversations about what is needed to turn employment commitments into sustainable careers.

 

 

Event Details

NSWICC Employment and Careers Expo 2026
Date: Monday 2 November 2026
Venue: Rydges Resort Hunter Valley
Location: Wonnarua Country
 
 The Expo will connect Indigenous job seekers with corporate and government employers, training providers and community organisations in a dedicated environment focused on employment, skills and career development. 
 

 

 

Media Attendance & Interview Requests

Media representatives are invited to register their interest in:
 

Attending the inaugural Employment & Careers Expo
Interviewing Indigenous job seekers and participants
Interviewing participating employers or training providers
Interviewing NSWICC representatives
Exploring Indigenous employment and workforce issues ahead of the event
Arranging a pre-event interview or feature
Requesting images, background information or other media material 

 
Media Contact
Events NSWICC
NSW Indigenous Chamber of Commerce
events@nswicc.com.au
Media enquiries and interview requests ahead of the anniversary are welcome.
 

 

Part of The Summit

The NSWICC Employment & Careers Expo will be held on Day One of The Summit 2026, the flagship annual event of the NSW Indigenous Chamber of Commerce.

The Summit brings together more than 1,000 delegates from Indigenous business, government and industry for two days of connection, collaboration and opportunity on Wonnarua Country.

The Employment & Careers Expo will operate as a dedicated component of the broader event, providing a specific focus on Indigenous employment, skills and career pathways.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE SUMMIT 2026

 

 

About NSWICC

The NSW Indigenous Chamber of Commerce (NSWICC) is the peak body for Indigenous business in New South Wales.
 
Since 2006, NSWICC has worked to strengthen the Indigenous business sector by supporting business growth and capability, connecting Indigenous suppliers with procurement opportunities, working with government and industry to improve Indigenous participation, and advocating for policies and practices that create genuine economic opportunity.
 
NSWICC's work extends across metropolitan, regional and remote NSW and includes business support and capability development, procurement services, training, advocacy, certification, partnerships and initiatives designed to strengthen the Indigenous business ecosystem.
 
At the centre of this work is a simple principle: strong Indigenous businesses create stronger communities, employment, economic independence and opportunities for future generations.
 
First for Indigenous Business since 2006.