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10 July 2014

Billson visits Melbourne's first Indigenous Vocational Training and Employment Centre

Indigenous job seekers and small businesses will benefit from a new vocation and training centre in Melbourne which will provide 250 guaranteed jobs for Indigenous Australians who complete the necessary training requirements.

Minister for Small Business Bruce Billson, who visited the Melbourne Vocational, Training & Employment Centre (VTEC) today, said Indigenous employment was a key priority for the Abbott Government which provides financial, training and support for small businesses through a range of initiatives.

"As a Government we have committed $45 million to deliver Vocational, Training and Employment Centres (VTECs) which will provide more than 4,000 jobs, based on the GenerationOne employment model," Mr Billson said.

"VTECs provide a pathway for employers including small businesses across the country to find employees which have been specifically trained for the job they are entering while providing support every step of the way.

"Employers work with VTECs to identify jobs for Indigenous job seekers, establish the training requirements for these jobs and organise delivery of the training. Job seekers who complete the required training are guaranteed the job, putting an end to training for training’s sake.

"Best of all they make sure job seekers are provided with ongoing formal and informal support to ensure they stay in the workforce."

GenerationOne Executive Director Jeremy Donovan said VTECs were the future of Indigenous training an employment.

"For too long our Mob have been trained for the sake of training, which unfortunately never leads to a job," Mr Donovan said.

"By bringing the training centres together with small businesses we can work towards ending the disparity between the Indigenous employment rate and that of the general community."

VTECs provide guaranteed jobs in various industries including hospitality, mining, construction, tourism, health, transport and agriculture.

There are now 21 VTECs operating across the country including in Perth, Sydney and Melbourne, the Hunter Region, South Coast NSW, Brisbane, North and Central Queensland, Perth, Darwin, Melbourne, Kalgoorlie, Alice Springs, The Barkley Region of the Northern Territory, the Kimberly and Adelaide.