The Jawun program aims to deepen cultural understanding at by placing people in Indigenous organisations to work on community-led projects. Jawun means friend or family. The spirit of friendship, reciprocity and shared purpose sits at the heart of the Jawun model, a partnership program that has seen thousands of secondees walk alongside Indigenous organisations across Australia.
Walking together as Jawun
The term ‘jawun’ was gifted to the program by Kuku Yalanji Elder and language keeper Mr Harrigan and continues to guide the Jawun partnership more than a decade after he bestowed the name to this visionary program in 2010.
Secondees are drawn from banking, consulting, government and education sectors and have the unique opportunity to live and work in Indigenous communities, learning about culture as they share their own knowledge and help to accelerate locally driven initiatives and enterprises.
“For UTS, the Jawun Secondment Program contributes to our commitment to cultural capability building across the university, as well as leadership development and meaningful engagement with Indigenous communities,” said Dani Lintern who is responsible for coordinating UTS’ Jawun Program.
About the Jawun experience
The Jawun program is grounded in the principle that Indigenous communities lead the way. Corporate, government and philanthropic partners, including UTS, contribute skills, expertise and human capital, but the agenda is entirely community owned.
“The strength of Jawun is that it’s not a fly‑in, fly‑out program,” said Dani. “Communities set the priorities. Our secondees are there to listen first, understand deeply and then offer their skills in ways that support self‑determined outcomes.”
Human Centred Design Principal Ashleigh West participated in the program in 2025 and had the opportunity to contribute skills to a strategic project in support of a respected community leader.
“During my Jawun secondment, I worked with the Ngarrindjeri people in South Australia, engaging directly with two Indigenous organisations on Ngarrindjeri Ruwe,” said Ashleigh, who is deeply grateful for the chance to contribute in a meaningful way, and for everything she learned through the experience.
Communities set the priorities. Our secondees are there to listen first, understand deeply and then offer their skills in ways that support self‑determined outcomes.
“The secondment was immersive and expansive. We spent time on Country and had many opportunities to learn about Ngarrindjeri culture and community, while also practicing and deepening skills in deep listening.”
“It’s a reciprocal experience,” Dani added. “Every UTS secondee tells us they come back changed, with deeper cultural understanding, stronger leadership skills, and a clearer sense of purpose. That impact flows into our classrooms, research culture and internal capability.”
Strategic pillars
Jawun’s distinctive approach is built on four interconnected components:
- Indigenous‑led organisations and initiatives: Secondees support projects defined and directed by community needs.
- A local or ‘place‑based’ focus: The history, identity and priorities of regional initiatives vary, and so does the work.
- Cross‑sector partnerships: Expertise is drawn from government, corporate, philanthropic and education partners.
- Skill‑based secondment: the capabilities of secondees is matched carefully to the needs of participating community projects.
Together, these pillars ensure that the relationship between secondees and their host organisation is collaborative, strengths‑based and long-term.
Why participate?
Participation in the Jawun Secondment Program offers secondees significant professional and personal benefits.
“Past UTS secondees consistently describe the experience as one of the most powerful periods in their professional lives,” Dani said.
Every UTS secondee tells us they come back changed, with deeper cultural understanding, stronger leadership skills, and a clearer sense of purpose. That impact flows into our classrooms, research culture and internal capability.
Benefits include:
- Deep cultural learning: Participants gain a grounded understanding of Indigenous histories, leadership models, community-driven development, and the realities facing First Nations organisations today.
- Leadership and capability development Secondees strengthen skills in strategic thinking, adaptability, resilience, collaborative problem solving and cross-cultural communication. Many return with an increased ability to work effectively across complexity and difference.
- Meaningful impact: By contributing their expertise, whether in project management, communications, finance, analysis or digital skills, secondees help accelerate initiatives led by Indigenous leaders and organisations.
- Personal growth: The immersion is often described as transformative. It challenges assumptions, builds empathy and expands ways of thinking.
- Enhanced contribution to UTS: Returning secondees share insights, influence teams and strengthen UTS’s internal cultural capability.
“The Jawun secondment was a deeply valuable experience, both personally and professionally and one that I am still reflecting on and learning from," Ashleigh said.
“Working in community challenged me to listen deeply, be comfortable with ambiguity and show up in a way that was genuinely useful."
Interested in applying?
In 2026, UTS will support 14 staff to participate in the program across three, six‑week, full‑time secondment rounds: May–June, July–August and October–November.
Secondees may be placed in one of three regions:
- Inner Sydney (Redfern, La Perouse)
- Lower River Murray & Far West Coast (South Australia)
- Central Australia (Alice Springs)
Applicants undergo interviews with the Jawun team before being matched to a community project aligned to their professional skills and experience.
Applications for the Jawun program can be made throughout the year as follows:
- Complete the application form and send it with your most recent resume to dani.lintern@uts.edu.au.
- Specify your preferred secondment region (Inner Sydney, South Australia, or Central Australia).
- Ensure you have full approval from your line manager before submitting the EOI.
For further information about program or the application process, please contact Dani Lintern by email.
Attend an information session
Prospective applicants are encouraged to attend an information session to hear from past participants and discover the ripple effect of the Jawun experience across the university.
Come along to hear inspiring stories and discover some of the new perspectives that colleagues have gained through participating in the Jawun experience.
When: Tuesday 24 February, 9am - 11am
Where: CB01.22.10 HR Training Room 1