The Albanese Labor Government is supporting more First Nations people with disability into meaningful employment by tripling the number of Indigenous employment service providers.
Under Labor’s reformed disability employment service, Inclusive Employment Australia, the number of Indigenous providers will triple, with the regions they serve expanding from three locations to 36 locations.
More Indigenous providers will ensure more First Nations participants can access culturally safe supports throughout their employment journey, putting people at the heart of services.
In addition, to support non-Indigenous providers working with First Nations people, the Albanese Labor Government is providing $1.25 million for the National Indigenous Employment and Training Alliance (The Alliance) to deliver a suite of resources and support for providers including mentoring, support plans, learning sessions and workshops.
These resources will boost the capability of both Indigenous and non-Indigenous employment providers.
This expansion forms part of larger reforms in the disability employment sector with the commencement of Inclusive Employment Australia last month.
More information on Inclusive Employment Australia can be found on the Department of Social Services website.
Quotes attributable to the Minister for Social Services, Tanya Plibersek:
“We are proud to be working with The Alliance as the national voice for the Indigenous employment and training sector, created for and led by First Nations people.
“The Alliance will help strengthen cultural sensitivity and ensure all participants experience inclusive, respectful, and culturally grounded support throughout their employment journey.
“This is just one part of our reforms to disability employment services, with more diverse services, more training for providers and more support for people with disability to get and keep a job they love.”
Quotes attributable to The Alliance CEO, Kylie Penehoe:
“This program is about more than expanding services. It is about ensuring First Nations people with disability experience culturally safe, strengths-based support at every step of their employment journey.”
“The Alliance is uniquely placed to guide this work. We combine First Nations leadership, cultural expertise, and sector knowledge to build capability across both Indigenous and non-Indigenous providers.”
“Our approach strengthens First Nations-led providers to excel while equipping all providers with the skills and confidence to deliver culturally safe services, ultimately improving outcomes for participants and communities.”