The number of staff and trainees we employ has increased by a third since last year, with nearly two hundred people now working for PICC. We now employ 197 staff members, up from 151 the previous year.
Impressively, three-quarters of our workforce are Palm Islanders. These figures are extraordinarily high compared to other services in remote communities, highlighting our commitment to local employment and development.
We now employ three times the number of people compared to ten years ago and our turnover has quadrupled. This substantial growth is directly benefiting Palm Islanders, either through the services we provide or the jobs we offer.
One small but significant example of our impact in the community is that among our recent graduating cohort of trainees in Community Services, all of them express their desire to work for "the Company". This is hugely encouraging to hear, and this sentiment is a testament to how valued and effective PICC is perceived within the community.
Social Enterprises alone had 44 staff members at 30 June 2024 - almost one-quarter of all PICC staff.
Rachel Atkinson
Palm Island, Queensland
Rachel Atkinson is the inaugural Chief Executive Officer of Palm Island Community Company, serving since 2007. A Yorta Yorta woman with a family lineage of activists — her great uncle William Cooper and cousin Sir Douglas Nicholls (first Indigenous Governor of South Australia) — Rachel holds a Bachelor of Social Work and previously led the Townsville Aboriginal and Islander Health Service (1996-2006). She transformed PICC from a single employee to 210+ staff, with 95% local employment generating $5.8M in annual wages. Rachel led the 14-year campaign that achieved full community control on September 30, 2021. She co-chairs the Queensland First Children and Families Board and Family Matters Queensland.
Stories like this matter
Help amplify voices from communities that deserve to be heard. Share this story or stay connected for more.