Spotlight on Josephine Baker

Josephine Baker joined Outback Stores in August 2023 as the Training Support Coordinator, based in the Darwin Support Office (DSO).

Originally from Milingimbi Island in  East Arnhem Land, Josephine speaks the Yolngu Matha language of Djambarrpuyngu, as well as Kriol and English.

She first worked in local government and interpreter services, before a childhood dream of working as a journalist led her to Yolngu Radio where she hosted her own program called ‘The Wakal Show’.

Now Josephine is passionate about a career in education and training and appreciates the opportunity to study while working full-time at the DSO.

In her first year with Outback Stores she completed her Certificate IV in Retail Management and soon will complete a Certificate IV in Training Assessment and Education. “I like challenges, so the more training in my position the better”, Josephine says.

She currently supports the training team with the compliance duties required of a registered training organisation. Upon completing her latest certificate, she will be qualified to deliver training in communities herself.

“It’s important to deliver qualifications in their own language. I feel passionate about that because we want to put them in a workplace where they feel confident. Not set up to fail,” says Josephine.

It’s important to deliver qualifications in their own language.

– Josephine Baker

“It’s great having Josephine on the training team because she is an effective team player with strong communication skills and a respectful attitude towards her colleagues,” says Alma Ngalmi, Training Manager. 

Josephine explains that the training team aims to sign most new employees up to a Certificate II in Retail because “they then feel more confident and want to take on more responsibilities”.

In the future, Josephine hopes the training team’s offerings might expand to hospitality certificates and other services needed in communities.

On weekends Josephine enjoys going hunting for bushtucker around Darwin with her friends and family members. Her favourite fish to eat is mullet and her top bushtucker health tip is eating longbum shellfish to boost the immune system.

This story was first published in the Outback Stores Annual Report 2023-2024.