Commonwealth public sector to increase its Indigenous workforce to three per cent: Federal Minister for Indigenous Affairs

“We need to get another 188,000 Indigenous Australians into jobs to reach parity with non-Indigenous Australians by 2018,” he said.

“That’s 62,000 a year.”

Mr Scullion said the Commonwealth public sector will increase its own Indigenous workforce to three per cent by 2018.

“That’s around 7500 people,” he said.

Mr Scullion said that through the newly formed Employment Parity Initiative, Australia’s biggest employers will also increase their average Indigenous employment rate to at least three per cent of their workforces by 2020.

“That’s an additional 20,000 Indigenous Australians in work,” he said.

“The Government is providing assistance to cover the costs associated with employing and retaining an unemployed person.

“An incentive of $7500 for each remote job seeker employed and retained to at least 26 weeks will be available through the Remote Jobs and Communities Program from 1 July.

“As a part of the new employment services model, wage subsidies are available to employers of disadvantaged job seekers, including for Indigenous job seekers who have been unemployed for six months or more.”

Mr Scullion said the Australian Government’s new employment services model, jobactive, will begin on 1 July.

“This $5 billion initiative applies to all job seekers, Indigenous and non-indigenous, but the principles are the same,” he said.

“As part of that we are making sure that job service providers are resolutely focused on getting people into jobs.

“We are also making sure that Indigenous people are job ready.

“Vocational Training and Employment Centres, or VTECS, have been established across the country.

“VTECs connect Indigenous job seekers with guaranteed jobs and bring together the support services to prepare them for long-term employment.

“The Australian Government is investing $45 million for VTECs to train, place and support up to 5000 Indigenous Australians into specific, ongoing jobs.”

Also speaking at the event, SA Minister for Employment Higher Education and Skills the Hon. Gail Gago said the Government of SA is committed to increasing training and employment outcomes for aboriginal people.

“Since 2010, the (Governor’s Aboriginal Employment Industry Cluster) program – a joint initiative of the state and Australian governments – has been supporting and promoting Australian employment in a wide number of industries,” she said.

“The strength of this program is that it is employer led and helps to bring systemic change in participating industries, resulting in an increase in recruitment.

“In 2010, several employers put their hand up to lead the employment of Aboriginal people in their respective sectors.

“More than 80 employers are now involved.”

Ms Gago said so far the program has supported 959 Aboriginal people into industry-specific training and 526 people into employment.