Nigel Scullion (NT, Country Liberal Party, Minister for Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I would like to thank the senator for his question and his interest in this government's efforts to ensure our First Australians are being embraced in the real economy. I think we have all heard the litany of dashed expectations created by previous governments' attempts, well-meaning though they may have been, to keep Indigenous Australians busy doing activities that, I believe, had no real purpose. Our First Australians deserve better.

Real jobs are the only way to end disparity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. The government has started a quiet revolution in this area. The government is providing up to $45 million to support new employer driven and demand driven vocational training and employment centres. VTECs provide intensive training and wrap-around support, leading to a guaranteed job and ending the cycle of training for training's sake. VTECs are based on the GenerationOne employment model—a proven model—driven by employer demand for skills to fill real jobs. We have now secured job commitments for 4,070 Indigenous men and women through our VTECs. That is over 4,000 Indigenous people in 21 VTECs across Australia being trained in industries such as hospitality, mining, construction, retail and health services and many other industries, including small business. Most importantly, I am so delighted to report, 70 of those people have moved from training and are now enjoying work, often for the first time, in training centres in Perth, Brisbane and Sydney.