Up to 60 Indigenous jobseekers on the north-west Tasmanian coast will benefit from training and connections to jobs by the Circular Head Aboriginal Corporation (CHAC), through the Gillard Government’s Indigenous Employment Program.

Minister for Indigenous Employment and Economic Development, Julie Collins, and the Member for Braddon, Sid Sidebottom, said the jobseekers would be training and receiving employment support in the areas of aquaculture, hospitality, farming, mining, horticulture, childcare and customer service.

“The CHAC has been responsible for training in this region for many years,” Ms Collins said.

“This follows a previous project with CHAC supported by the Indigenous Employment Program which had a 100 per cent success rate of participants gaining employment.

“Part of the program’s success is the way it is tailored to the individual needs of participants.

“Some participants are given pre-employment training, employment support and mentoring, while others are also provided with mentoring support once they commence employment.”

Mr Sidebottom said it was fantastic Indigenous employment programs were being offered on the north-west coast of Tasmania.

“It is critical local Indigenous jobseekers have the support and training they need to take up employment,” Mr Sidebottom said.

“The project will run until June 2013, at various locations on the north-west coast.”

Ms Collins said Indigenous employment was an issue the Government is addressing in the long term.

“Over the next four years the Gillard Government has invested almost $650 million to the Indigenous Employment Program and $50 million to the Indigenous Youth Careers Pathway Program,” Ms Collins said.

“This is part of our target to create more than 100,000 jobs for Indigenous Australians by 2018.”