How Bama Services is helping women enter the workforce and balance family life.
For women looking to start a career or balance family life while re-entering the workforce, Bama Services’ new cleaning business offers the perfect solution. With flexible hours and opportunities for personal growth, it provides an ideal way to start or resume a rewarding career.
For over a decade, Bama Services has been a vital entry point for individuals with limited skills or qualifications looking to enter the workforce. As a social enterprise, Bama has focused on recruiting and retaining First Nations people, helping them move off welfare, restore pride and build meaningful careers.
While Bama's Services operated in industries that traditionally didn’t attract many women, after securing a Lord Mayor's Charitable Foundation Work Integration Social Enterprise (WISE) grant, Bama Services conducted an extensive Working Women's Focus Group to explore effective ways to employ mothers, women returning to work, and others. One idea emerged to start a cleaning business that could offer flexible work schedules and contracts.
This new venture is not just about providing jobs; it's about meeting the needs of school leavers, those entering the workforce, or individuals balancing family life or caring responsibilities. The cleaning service is a natural extension of Bama's ongoing success story and reflects its commitment to offering more opportunities for women to engage and thrive.
After the cleaning service was established a few workers from the School to Jobs program and others were employed. They began cleaning the Bama Service head office, the Cape York Partnership Baninh Yeeum Cairns office and facilities in Aurukun. They have also secured their first contract with QBuild for new build cleans of their social and government modular homes.
The service has now grown to include specialty cleaning services for especially tough jobs. With the early success of the new venture, Bama Services has now hired a Cleaning Supervisor as they expand operations.
Timekka Hunting, who was part of the focus group and has been working with Bama Services since the beginning of the cleaning program, has found the experience both rewarding and educational.
As a young mother, Timekka is pleased that she is still able to work but also get ample time off to care for and grow her family.
“I’ve been enjoying working and it is flexible, being able to choose my hours and days I work so I can still care for my family,” she said.
“A couple of the cleaning girls are also on the Bama maintenance crew and do lawnmowing and other stuff as well.
“I have gotten good skills and Bama provides for us, some of us are able to get our white cards and we also have access to a cleaning program if we want to upskill.”
Businesses can employ Bama Services to keep their workplaces clean and professional, or even a personal bond/vacate clean.
In the highly competitive cleaning industry, Bama continues to stand out, winning business and making an impact. If your business is looking to partner with an Indigenous social enterprise that creates real change, reach out to Bama Services and help support their mission.