► More good jobs and opportunities for training in Indigenous communities
Supporting Effective CDEP
After the previous Government abolished CDEP, Warren was instrumental in Labor's reinstatement of the program. The changes made to CDEP in July 2009 will be thoroughly reviewed in 2011, and this review will guide future Labor policy on CDEP.
Working on Country
The Government is continuing its commitment to the creation of Indigenous Rangers jobs in Lingiari. In 2007 the we pledged to create 300 positions. $246 million has been budgeted for up to 680 ranger positions in Australia by June 2013, with 600 approved positions already existing--and a third of these are in Lingiari, with 21 separate Working on Country projects being supported across the Northern Territory.
Indigenous Territorians have long sough to have their land and sea management work recognised as paid work. Working on Country demonstrates the Labor Government's commitment to seeing that this aspiration is honoured.
Work undertaken by Indigenous Rangers includes weed, fire and feral animal management, protection and management of sea country, threatened species management, site rehabilitation including revegetation and management of sites of cultural significance.
Working on Country is a successful cross-cultural model of engagement in natural resource management. The uptake of ranger jobs has been good and the feedbank from rangers and communities on this initiative is very positive.
Trade Training Centres for the bush
The Government is opening up opportunities for young Indigenous students in Lingiari to learn a trade by supporting the delivery of Trade Training Centres at local schools.
The Trade Training Centres in Schools Program is an important element of the Government's Education Revolution. It will provide $2.5 billion over ten years to enable all high school students to access vocational education in convenient facilities. Trade Training Centres in Lingiari are located at:
- Groote Eylandt
- Jabiru
- Ngukurr
- Wadeye
- Bathurst Island
► You can read more about Trades Training Centres in your local area by visiting the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations website.
Investing in Indigenous school students
The Labor Government will contribute $15.4 million over four years into a flexible funding pool to support projects that improve education outcomes for children and young people such as readiness for school and school attendance and enhanced access to literacy and numeracy programs under the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Action Plan 2010-2014.
Part of the Government's $59.4 million package to improve the quality of child care services in regional and remote Australia will go to 48 child care centres throughout Lingiari, mostly in remote Indigenous communities. These funds will help child care staff improve their skills and qualifications, build new infrastructure and upgrades for existing facilities, and provide governance support. This will also increase opportunities for locals to get trained and employed to provide care for young Indigenous kids in Lingiari.
Support for skills development
Through the 2010 Federal Budget, the Govrnment has also acted to promote Indigenous skills development and employment both in the Territory and nationally by providing:
- $4 million over four years to support ethical commerce in the Indigenous visual arts sector by assisting Indigenous artists with professional development, business skills training and access to the commercial marketplace.
- Improvements to Indigenous employment, recruitment and retention practices in Federal public sector organisations at a cost of $1.6 million.