Media Release by The Hon Jenny Macklin MP

400 extra skilled Indigenous workers

Joint Media Release with:

  • Brendan O'Connor MP, Minister for Employment Participation

The Australian Government today welcomed plans for a comprehensive Indigenous training and employment package to be delivered in rural and remote Australia through the Indigenous Land Corporation (ILC).

The package will provide 530 certificate-level training places and employment for up to 400 Indigenous graduates in the pastoral, tourism and resource sectors and in ILC businesses, including beef cattle and sheep production, horticulture, maintenance, transport and administration.

The ILC has committed $9.1 million, with the Australian Government providing $5.7 million for the three-year training and employment program. The program is expected to attract further Australian Government funding.

The Government is committed to halving the employment gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians within a decade by creating job opportunities and giving Indigenous people the skills and training they need to get and keep a job.

Employment contributes to personal, social and economic development and is central to the national economic interest.

The Government applauds all efforts by the private sector to increase the employment of Indigenous people.

The Government is working to make people job-ready so they can benefit from employment opportunities.

The Government is supporting the Australian Employment Covenant (AEC), a private sector initiative led by the CEO of Fortescue Metals Group, Andrew Forrest, to create 50,000 jobs for Indigenous Australians.

This support includes pre-employment training, facilitating post-employment support and mentoring for Indigenous people which industry and independent employers, especially in rural and remote Australia, are not often equipped to provide.

ILC businesses will help fill this gap by providing on-site training infrastructure, including personnel, residential training centres and operational equipment for on-the-job training.

The three-year package will provide Indigenous Australians with accredited training, certificate-level qualifications and jobs in the paid workforce through the AEC. The ILC is a participating employer in the AEC.

An important element of this package will be the development of relationships with key mining, oil and gas industries over the next three years to broaden job choices for graduates.

The ILC operates 14 businesses across Australia ranging from large cattle stations, and tourism operations in the north to wool and sheep properties in the south.

The training to employment package will be delivered through training centres based on ILC-operated businesses at Roebuck Plains Station near Broome, Home Valley Station in the East Kimberly, Waliburru Station in the NT, Crocodile Welcome station on Cape York, Urannah Station near Townsville and on a smaller scale through a further eight ILC businesses across Australia.