New Indigenous employment and training strategy unveiled

Minister for Education, Training and the Arts Rod Welford today announced a new strategy to increase employment among Indigenous people in Queensland.

Mr Welford said Positive Dreaming, Solid Futures: the Queensland Government’s Indigenous Employment and Training Strategy 2008-2011 represented a new and sustained effort to improve labour force participation by Indigenous Queenslanders.

“The combination of the strength of the Queensland economy, low unemployment and skills and labour shortages gives us a unique opportunity to do something constructive to improve the livelihoods and prospects of Indigenous people,” Mr Welford said.

“Skills training and jobs are fundamental to achieving economic and social wellbeing, both for individual Indigenous people and communities.

“During the process of consultations with Indigenous people in producing the Positive Dreaming, Solid Futures strategy, the overwhelming desire was to ensure training led to employment. There also needs to be improved targeting of government investment and mentoring for Indigenous enterprise development.”

Member for Barron River, Stephen Wettenhall, welcomed the strategy, which he said would reinforce existing positive initiatives and identify areas for improved cooperation, collaboration and new investment.

“There will be a particular emphasis on those individuals and communities that are locked into inter-generational unemployment due to multi-faceted social and life issues,” Mr Wettenhall said.

“We must put greater priority on engaging business and industry in partnerships focused on placing Indigenous jobseekers into jobs.”

Target industries will include the resources, construction, tourism, primary industry and community services industries.

Positive Dreaming, Solid Futures commits to four priority areas:

• maximising employment through strategic alliances
• skilling individuals for work
• building capabilities in communities to enhance community and economic development opportunities
• aligning employment support and training to the needs of Indigenous Queenslanders

Mr Welford said the strategy would be accompanied by a multi-agency implementation plan led by the Departments of Education, Training and the Arts and Employment and Industrial Relations.

For further information visit www.deta.qld.gov.au/positivedreaming

Media contact: Marnie Stitz on 0419 734 985