The Coalition Government has reached its target of supporting 5000 job opportunities for First Australians through the Vocational Training and Employment Centre (VTEC) initiative.
For highly disadvantaged Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who have gained employment through this initiative, these jobs are having a transformative effect – not only bringing financial security, but also helping to secure their future.
Employment enables people to gain skills, to save for homes, to provide for their kids and to become strong community role models, both locally and around Australia.
There are now 24 VTECs delivering services to people living in communities across Australia, from Sydney to the Kimberley. But this is not the end. VTECs now have contracts to support up to 7500 Indigenous jobseekers into employment, and the Coalition will continue to work closely with them to connect as many Indigenous jobseekers as possible with real jobs.
The VTEC initiative, based on the GenerationOne employment model, is unique in that the centres secure guaranteed jobs from employers and then match and prepare Indigenous jobseekers for those jobs. Training is firmly focused on specific jobs, ending the cycle of training for training’s sake.
VTECs also provide “wrap around support” to both the Indigenous participant and the employer during employment for up to 26 weeks.
Importantly, VTEC providers only get paid when a jobseeker has been in employment for six months. This creates a strong incentive for the provider to support the jobseeker to remain employed, meaning taxpayer money is only spent when a real outcome has been achieved.
The Government has committed more than $100 million to the VTEC initiative since 2014.
The VTEC initiative is one of numerous, innovative employment programmes the Coalition is implementing to increase employment opportunities for First Australians.
Nationally, employment programmes within the Indigenous Affairs portfolio, in conjunction with jobactive, have supported First Australians into more than 50,000 jobs since 1 July 2015.