15 Apr 2014

Drive to increase indigenous jobs

7:35 pm on 15 April 2014

The Australian Government is generating hundreds of new jobs for indigenous people in Perth.

Indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion and GenerationOne national development director Jeremy Donovan have launched Perth's first Vocational Training and Employment Centre (VTEC), which will provide guaranteed jobs for up to 200 indigenous people.

The Australian Government has committed up to $45 million for VTECs to train up to 5000 indigenous Australians for a specific job before July 2015.

Mr Scullion said employment was critical to ending the disparity between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians.

The first VTEC in Perth will focus on providing 200 skilled employees to service the high levels of demand for jobs in the hospitality industry in Perth.

Increasing Aboriginal employment was one of the three key priorities of the Australian Government, Mr Scullion said.