Remote Jobs

Back to Employment and Economic Development

The government is committed to improving employment outcomes for people living in remote Australia and has replaced the Community Development Program (CDP) with the Remote Australia Employment Service (RAES) and the Remote Jobs and Economic Development (RJED) program.

The RJED program is creating 6,000 new jobs until 2030 with good pay and conditions, like superannuation and leave. The RAES started on 1 November 2025 and supports job seekers to build their skills and address barriers to employment.

The main goal of the RJED program is to assist income support recipients move into paid employment through the creation of new jobs that support community priorities. The RAES aims to help people prepare for work and create pathways for job seekers to move into work. The design of RJED and RAES builds on the success of job trials and reflects feedback from consultation.

Creating opportunities in remote communities

The RJED program and the RAES will improve job opportunities and employment services for people living or working in RAES regions.

 

 

The RJED program is about creating new jobs that communities want and need which can be flexible around personal, family and community obligations. Jobs can be part-time, full-time or casual.

It works by interested employers applying for funding to pay for wages and equipment so they can create new jobs and hire local people.

So far, more than 3,000 jobs have been approved for funding through the program.

The RAES supports people who are currently looking for work, or may need help to become job-ready, with the skills and resources they need to take up job opportunities – including those created through the RJED program.

Working with communities

The CDP was replaced in consultation with remote community members, job seekers, peak bodies, First Nations peoples, CDP providers, CDP participants and other key stakeholders with an interest in remote employment.

Over the past few years, the government has heard from thousands of people in more than 200 remote communities about the best way to replace the CDP. This has led to creating a jobs program that remote communities needed, supported by employment services that help young people and job seekers get ready for work.

Consultation – November to December 2025

To help improve the application process for future RJED grant rounds, we invited organisations and the public to complete a short anonymous survey. The survey was open from 1 November to 1 December 2025 and asked about applicants’ experiences with the grant application process.

You can read more in the Feedback from the Grant Application survey 

Consultation – March to April 2025

Between 27 March 2025 and 21 April 2025, the NIAA published the draft RAES Grant Opportunity Guidelines (GOGs) for information and feedback.

The draft GOGs built on information already shared in previous consultations. They set out proposed elements of the new service such as the provider payment model, eligibility criteria, assessment criteria and the grant selection process. 

In response to your feedback, we have implemented the following changes to the final GOGs:   

  • extended the grant period from 22 months to 32 months
  • adjusted the timing of the first payment milestones for the Employment Placement Support payments to be paid at 4-weeks of continuous employment
  • added an additional payment milestone for the Employment Placement Support payments at 52 weeks of continuous employment
  • split the Employment Outcome Fee payments and the 52-week milestone Employment Placement Support payment with 60% to go to employers of RAES participants and 40% to RAES providers
  • preferenced First Nations organisations.

You can read more in the Remote Australia Employment Service Draft Grant Opportunity Guidelines consultation report.

Consultation – April to July 2024

In 2024, the NIAA engaged with more than 200 remote communities and 3,100 people.

We heard that a new jobs program and employment service should provide:

  • skills and support to complete paperwork for employment
  • continuous on-the job training
  • ongoing tailored mentoring and coaching
  • long-term sustainability of jobs
  • employment that supports local cultural needs.

You can read more in the Replacing the Community Development Program – second phase of community consultations report, the consultation summary on a page or watch the short video that follows.

Consultation – February to May 2023

In 2023, the NIAA engaged with more than 100 remote communities and 2,250 people about ways to design and deliver a program to replace the CDP.

We heard that a new program and service to replace CDP should:

  • be planned and led by communities
  • recognise roles carried out in the communities
  • take a new approach for young people
  • support local jobs for local people
  • include a form of reciprocity
  • be flexible to invest in local priorities
  • assist people unable to work right now.

You can read more in the Replacing the Community Development Program consultation report, the consultation summary on a page or watch the short video that follows.

Remote Employment Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL)

MEL frameworks have been developed for both the RJED program and the RAES to guide how program outcomes will be measured to make sure they are both working to their full potential.

We are gathering information through:

  • Monitoring – collecting data to review how implementation is progressing.
  • Evaluation – assessing what outcomes are being achieved and how.
  • Learning – looking at how evidence and insights can be applied to improve RJED and RAES.

Job seekers, employees, employers, providers and remote communities can have their say in how the RAES and the RJED program can best operate to meet their needs and drive local economic development through:

RJED program

We are talking to RJED employers and employees to find out what is working well and what areas need development.

Activities include:

  • online surveys with employers and employees
  • online yarning sessions with employers and employees.
RAES

We are talking to RAES providers and people in some remote communities to find out what is working well and what areas need development.

Activities include:

  • online surveys with providers
  • online yarning sessions with providers
  • around 15 in-person remote community visits between August - September 2026 to talk to local communities and job seekers about the RAES.

First Nations Advisory Group

The First Nations Advisory Group (previously known as the First Nations Reference Group) helped with the design of the RJED program and continue to provide advice on the RJED program and the RAES.

With both RJED and RAES now operational, the Minister has decided to build on the FNRG by establishing the First Nations Advisory Group (FNAG) to strengthen the new programs, influence broader Government employment and workforce reforms that impact both remote and non-remote, and consider initiatives to increase the number of First Nations peoples in jobs.

The group will provide advice on the following areas of focus:

  1. Reform of employment services (design, investment, viability, procurement and capability)
  2. Development and implementation of the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning frameworks and continuous improvement for RJED and RAES
  3. Non-remote employment strategy where job growth and skills development are essential to breaking long-term unemployment cycles for First Nations peoples; and
  4. Initiatives to enhance employment service engagement with business and industry groups.
Terms of Reference

First Nations Advisory Group - Terms of Reference

Membership

The FNAG will be made up of 16 representatives from: 

  • Ten organisations (with one representative each) 
  • The Coalition of Peaks (with two representatives) 
  • Empowered Communities (with one representative)  
  • Two youth representatives, and 
  • One independent researcher/academic. 

Members include: 

  • Coalition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peak Organisations 
  • National Indigenous Employment and Training Alliance 
  • Yilabara 
  • Arnhem Land Progress Aboriginal Corporation 
  • Supply Nation 
  • First Nations Workers Alliance 
  • Cape York Partnership 
  • Empowered Communities 
  • Torres Strait Regional Authority 
  • Ngaanyatjarra Council 
  • Regional Anangu Services Aboriginal Corporation 
  • Nirrumbuk Environmental Health and Services 
  • Independent Researcher 
  • Independent Youth representatives 
FNRG Meeting Communiqués

Resources

You can download these resources to learn more about job creation and employment services to share with your community.

Media centre

2025 media releases
2024 media releases
2022 media releases

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