Next steps for Indigenous jobs reforms

The Minister for Employment Participation, Brendan O'Connor, today announced the next step in reforms to employment services for Indigenous Australians.
Mr O'Connor said reforms to the Indigenous Employment Program (IEP) will begin on 1 July 2009 and build on recent reforms of universal employment services.

The reforms are key to making progress on the Government's aim of halving the employment gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians within a decade. This will require an extra 100,000 Indigenous Australians to find and keep work.

The Government has consulted widely with Indigenous Australians and their communities, Indigenous and non-Indigenous business and with service providers.