Karen Sheldon is the queen of the Northern Territory’s hospitality and training scene

She started working at the remote Barrow Creek Hotel 46 years ago and with her fellow women directors (the other two are former staffers) now operates a home-grown Territory success story in business and innovation. Karen Sheldon Catering operates diverse enterprises across the NT and employs around one hundred Territorians, more than half of whom are Indigenous Australians. Karen Sheldon Catering is the current Gold Plate holders for Catering, now in their third consecutive year of winning this Award.

Karen Sheldon Training and Employment Services divisions provide job ready training, employment skills development, job matching and on the job mentoring, placing jobseekers into many industries, including construction, agriculture, automotive, health, human services, hospitality and administration etc.

The vision of the business is working towards “closing the gap” on Indigenous employment disadvantage in this generation. The company understands that just like learning to ride a bike, basic employability skills such as reliability and self-esteem require practice time, and the ability to fall off, then get right back up to try again as often as is needed until regular commitment to employment becomes part of the jobseeker’s lifestyle. This is the true benefit of so many of the incubator-type paid employment opportunities that are now provided through the Karen Sheldon Group of businesses, despite the cost to business inevitably entailed.

As an NT Vocational Training and Employment Centre with the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, and a Registered Training Organisation KSC also partners with other training and industry organisations, to deliver wide ranging opportunities.

An example is the partnership with HIA (The Housing Industry Association of NT), that delivers Construction Basics Skillset courses, and equips Indigenous trainees to enter construction roles throughout the Territory. Many successful careers are being launched in this way – small steps at a time.

From their base at TIO Stadium, Marrara, and as hospitality providers and café operators at Parliament House, Karen operates the diverse divisions of the Karen Sheldon Group with fellow directors Sarah Hickey and Amanda Swift, and many long-term dedicated managers and fellow team members.

Karen is passionate about Australian Native Produce and discussed the iconic Kakadu Plum, or Billy Goat Plum (terminalia ferdinandiana), highlighting some of its Territory history, qualities and uses at 2016 Territory Taste Festival on April 16&17.