The National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA) is calling for feedback on how funding for the Indigenous Advancement Strategy (IAS) can be directed to increase employment outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Minister for Indigenous Australians, Ken Wyatt said the NIAA’s Indigenous skills, engagement and employment Program (ISEP) discussion paper would contribute to the development of a new ISEP which was to replace the Vocational Training and Employment Centres (VTEC), Tailored Assistance Employment Grants (TAEG) and Employment Parity Initiative (EPI) from 1 July 2022.
“Government is also looking at services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and scoping a model that prioritises flexible, local solutions,” Mr Wyatt said.
“Even though the IAS investment makes up a small proportion of Government investment in employment services for Indigenous Australians, they make an important contribution at the local level,” he said.
“More than 30,550 job seekers have been placed in jobs that lasted six months or more since the IAS started and we want to grow this number.”
Mr Wyatt said the new approach would focus on long-term employment, not the 26-week employment outcomes currently provided.
The Minister said the NIAA would host a series of roundtables and focus groups with a range of stakeholders to gain feedback on the Discussion Paper and the proposed ISEP before submissions closed on 10 September.
NIAA’s 10-page Discussion Paper, including information on how to have a say, can be accessed at this PS News link.
