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Multi-million dollar training strategy supplied by Minister Elmes’ office 21 February 2014
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new $4 million strategy has been launched, to improve training outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, delivering on the Newman Government’s election promise to revitalise frontline services. Minister for Education, Training and Employment John-Paul Langbroek said the investment supported the government’s longterm investment in the economic participation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Queenslanders. “We are committed to Indigenous Queenslanders having the same opportunities as non-Indigenous people,” Mr Langbroek said. “All Queenslanders should be afforded the same chance to contribute to and benefit from the state’s prosperity. “I’m pleased to announce the Newman Government will invest $1 million each year for four years to fund training projects that will help Indigenous people undertake and complete training that leads to jobs.” Mr Langbroek said the funding was in addition to the government’s existing substantial investment in training strategies like the Certificate 3 Guarantee. “Local employers and Indigenous organisations as well as industry will be involved in identifying the skills and employment needs as well as the geographic areas where they are needed,” he said. “For 20 long years, lazy Labor governments ignored Indigenous
Minister Glen Elmes inside Hope Vale’s banana factory. Image: Cairns Post.
training and targeted employment programs, but what we are doing is promising training in fields that lead directly to jobs.” Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Minister Glen Elmes said the unemployment rate amongst Indigenous Queenslanders was unacceptably high and the best way to address that was through targeted training. “Training must be linked to real jobs for it to be effective,” Mr Elmes said. “This Government is focussed on providing training linked to jobs, unlike the previous Labor government which provided training for training’s sake with no connection to employment. “The result was a still largely unemployed, work-aged Indigenous population. “Increased employment is fundamental to securing a better economic future for Indigenous people as a way to increasing community sustainability,
supporting self-sufficiency and improving social cohesion. “This training strategy is an important component of the Queensland Government’s Indigenous Economic Participation Framework released at the end of last year. “A principal focus of the Framework is to link emerging economic opportunities in the resources, tourism and agriculture sectors to greater employment opportunities for Indigenous communities.” David Kempton, Member for Cook, has welcomed the new $4 million indigenous training initiative launched today by the State Government. “This is another step in the right direction by the Newman Government,” he said. “An investment like this will have a profound positive impact on the communities within my electorate.”
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