Ayers Rock Resort celebrates first Indigenous graduates

The first group of Ayers Rock Resort Indigenous trainees have graduated from the National Indigenous Training Academy at Yulara under an Australian Government program.

Minister for Youth, Peter Garrett, congratulated the successful trainees at an awards ceremony at the resort on Friday.

“It was great to talk to the graduates about their training experience and join them to celebrate their personal achievement,” Mr Garrett said.

“The trainees completed a 12-month training program through the National Indigenous Training Academy which provides pre-employment support, accredited paid on-the-job training and ongoing mentoring.

“Indigenous trainees also benefit from literacy and numeracy training funded from the Australian Government’s Workplace English Language and Literacy (WELL) program.”

The graduating trainees are:
      Karen Brown, Mimili community SA
      Teneille Stewart, Eden NSW
      Jacob Wighton, Dubbo NSW
      Phillipe McLeod, Sydney NSW

The Minister for Indigenous Employment and Economic Development, Julie Collins, said programs like these offer indigenous job seekers opportunities to get proper training and qualifications.

“Graduates are then able to return home or move elsewhere in Australia to use and share their new skills and knowledge,” Ms Collins said.

The Yulara initiative is funded through the Australian Government’s $650 million Indigenous Employment Program (IEP) - one of the most successful programs helping Indigenous Australians get the training they need to get a job and supporting them to keep it.

Overall, the IEP is providing $5 million in funding to support the Indigenous Land Corporation (ILC) increase the number of Indigenous employees at the resort to around half by 2018.

“Around Australia, the IEP has achieved 101,000 placements in employment and training related activities over the past three years,” Ms Collins said.

For more information about the IEP visit: www.deewr.gov.au/iep