Minister for Indigenous Australians
The First Nations Reference Group for the Remote Jobs and Economic Development Program held its sixth meeting online today.
The $707 million Remote Jobs and Economic Development program announced in February 2024, will create 3,000 jobs in remote Australia, to help close the gap in employment outcomes, boost economic opportunities and invest in cultural authority.
The Reference Group considered the draft Grant Opportunity Guidelines (GOGs) for the Remote Jobs and Economic Development program that were released for public consultation on 10 July 2024(link is external). They have been developed considering the views of the First Nations Reference Group, consultation input provided to date and learnings from job trials. The Reference Group will continue to play a role in advising the Minister for Indigenous Australians on the implementation of the RJED program to ensure the program creates new opportunities for youth and can be accessed equitably access by all eligible communities in remote Australia.
Members were also updated on the recent phase of community consultations on the Remote Jobs program. The Reference Group heard that since April 2024, NIAA has held consultations in approximately 200 remote communities. More than 2600 people have been part of these consultations including community members, employers, Aboriginal corporations, council members and other interested stakeholders. Members heard that feedback from community consultations is largely consistent with advice from the First Nations Reference Group, and that a summary of messages heard through the consultations will be made public ahead of the commencement of the new program.
The Reference Group considered the future for employment services in remote Australia and discussed the key elements of a new employment service. Importantly, members discussed how employment service providers and community should work together to design incentives and obligations for participants in remote employment services, taking into account the consideration of cultural awareness and the unique economic, social and geographic nature of remote Australia, including distances from labour markets. It was noted that the community consultation on the RJED program also provided valuable feedback on the future of a new remote employment service which will form the basis of program design.
Members then discussed how both stages of the reform - the Remote Jobs program and the new remote employment service - work together to provide meaningful, culturally appropriate, entry level jobs in local organisations. The system as a whole will need to support local people who are either long-term unemployed or have significant barriers to jobs, particularly skilled jobs currently filled on a fly-in fly-out basis, and people who are looking to builds skills. The Remote Jobs program and new remote employment service need to work in together to support local workforce development and work with communities to provide sustainable, long-term employment.
The next meeting will be held the week starting Monday 5 August 2024.
