Students from Eora College of Sydney TAFE are taking their first steps towards becoming police officers graduating today from the Indigenous Police Recruiting Our Way Delivery (IPROWD) program.

Image: Minister for Skills John Barilaro with IPROWD graduate Anna Graydon at the graduation ceremony at Eora College, Redfern*Governor of NSW His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Ret'd) joined with Minister for Skills John Barilaro to help celebrate the graduation of the seventh class of IPROWD students.

"I'm proud to see that half of today's 12 graduates are women and everyone should take pride in their achievement of making it through a tough and testing course," Mr Barilaro said

"It hasn't been an easy pathway for any of them with a very challenging regime of physical and mental fitness and students relocating from their homes for the training.

"Today's graduates are joining a growing list of Aboriginal people who have enjoyed successful careers in the NSW Police Force after completing their IPROWD training at Eora College.

"These graduates signed up to IPROWD knowing it isn't a free ticket into the NSW Police Force but it can fast track the process of becoming a police officer."

IPROWD is a training program that also supports students after graduation by providing help during the many stages of police recruitment supporting them in other employment while waiting to finalise the recruitment process.

"These graduates step forward with the support and best wishes of the NSW Government and everyone else involved in this inspirational program," Mr Barilaro said.

Local Area Commander Redfern, Luke Freudenstein said each of the graduating classes complete their policing component at Redfern Police Station.

"Redfern Police now has seven Aboriginal police officers and three administration staff within their ranks and hopefully when these graduates complete studies at the Goulburn Police Academy we will have more."

For the first time the Australian Human Rights Commission Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Mick Gooda will address the graduates.

IPROWD is a state-wide training strategy to support an increase in the number of Indigenous police officers in the NSW police force.

MEDIA: John Morrison│Minister Barilaro│0439 281 482