The federal government says more than 42,000 job seekers are expected to access a new remote employment service to help people in remote areas learn new skills and find pathways into work.
The service, which will include people who are already actively looking for employment and those who require support to upskill, will include increased investment in training, pilots to test how existing job seeker assessment processes can be better supported, supporting local approaches to improve literacy and numeracy proficiency for jobs, and recognising the value of quality and tailored support for job seekers in work.
Minister for Indigenous Australians, Malarndirri McCarthy, said the new service would "help job seekers get job ready with the skills and training they need and connect them with the jobs that remote communities want".
"Time and time again, we've heard from remote communities that job seekers want better access to skills development, and employment service providers want opportunities for capacity building," Senator McCarthy said.
Arguing it will help close the gap for First Nations people, 25 per cent of the funding allocated to providers for the remote employment service can be directed back towards community projects to help foster community aspirations.
The government has earmarked 3000 jobs over three years across remote Australia as the target for its new $707 million Remote Jobs and Economic Development Program (RJED) as part of an investment of $1.5 billion over four years.
The RJED replaced the Coalition's Community Development Program (CDP), with the government saying it will differ by supporting providers to work collaboratively with job seekers and communities to understand their needs.
Furthermore, they argue it will provide "real jobs, proper wages and decent conditions".
"Replacing the Community Development Program has always been about creating jobs that communities want, with proper wages and decent conditions, supported by quality skills, training and employment services," Senator McCarthy said.
The remote employment service has come after community consultation and two years of trials, focusing on job creation approaches which support local priorities and enterprise development in the regions covered by the CDP.
The government said the trials have seen almost 17,500 CDP participants and their community's benefit from a raft of opportunities.
These include paid work experience, training incentives, mentoring and establishment of new community enterprises.
"We know the old CDP program left First Nations people stuck in cycles of poverty and failed remote communities," Senator McCarthy said.
"The new remote employment service is about self-determination through economic and community development."
A competitive grants process will open in early 2025 for interested organisations to apply for funding to deliver services within remote employment service regions (currently known as CDP regions).
More information can be found online.