The Wire

Some 36 000 Aboriginal people across Australia rely on Community Development Employment Projects, or CDEPs, as a lifeline that offers both essential community services and skills training. Earlier this year the federal government began a series of consultations, prompting widespread fear the scheme would be abolished altogether. In April this year, however, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations Kevin Andrews released a discussion paper outlining the future direction of the program – dispelling any rumours the scheme was to be cancelled. Key proposals include linking CDEP activities with the Government’s plan to introduce Shared Responsibility Agreements and providing more support for the management of CDEP organisations. It’s also clear that the overarching philosophy behind the re-vamped scheme is to get people off CDEP jobs and into mainstream work. But it’s hard to see how this philosophy fits into remote communities where there are no other jobs.

Building on Success CDEP – Future Directions Paper