Three job trials in remote communities – the Community Development Program (CDP) Trials, New Jobs Program Trial (NJPT) and Ngaanyatjarra Lands Trials helped design the Remote Jobs and Economic Development (RJED) program and new Remote Australia Employment Service (RAES).
More than 18,000 remote job seekers gaining access to paid work experience, mentoring and training incentives and 3,000 people into job placements.
Jobs created under the NJPT were eligible for the RJED program and around 280 NJPT jobs have been transitioned across to the RJED program.
New Jobs Program Trial
The New Jobs Program Trail (NJPT) was announced as part of the October 2022-23 Budget to support the creation of jobs in selected communities including:
- Eyre (SA)
- Far West (SA)
- East Kimberley region (WA)
- Ngaanyatjarra Lands (WA)
- Mid-West West region (WA)
- Goldfields, incorporating Kambalda/Norseman and Yaaliku regions (WA)
- Palm Island (QLD)
- Barkly (NT)
- and the surrounds of Alice Springs (NT).
Applications closed on 30 October 2024. The end date was extended to 30 June 2025 so that existing NJPT employers could complete their projects.
Community Development Program Trials
The CDP Trials comprised of Phase 1 which ran from November 2022 until 30 June 2023; and Phase 2 which began in July 2023 and continued until 31 October 2024. Under the CDP Trials, providers are working with remote communities to implement projects that help move participants into real jobs, capture learnings and insights, and further strengthen community-led approaches. These projects offered a range of opportunities to job seekers, including:
- paid jobs with community organisations to build skills and experience
- subsidised work trials to encourage organisations to employ job seekers with barriers to work
- development of local community enterprises in areas such as hospitality, art, agriculture, care services and construction
- new and more intensive approaches to addressing barriers to employment such as transport, licences and clearances
- use of incentives to engage job seekers.
A Synthesis of early learnings from the first phase of the CDP Trial ‘Trialling Pathways to Real Jobs’ is available at the Resource Centre.
A summary of approved trials is available at Community Development Program (CDP): Trialling Pathways to Real Jobs and the CDP Trials Quarterly Progress Updates.
Ngaanyatjarra Lands Trials
The Ngaanyatjarra Lands Trials (in CDP Region 3) trialled new approaches to remote employment services to test ideas and understand barriers to employment in very remote regions of Australia that are a significant distance from a regional centre.
Commencing 1 July 2023 the Ngaanyatjarra Lands Trials included both the Ngaanyatjarra Engagement and Employment Trial which ran from 1 July 2023 until 30 June 2025, and the Remote Engagement Program Trial which runs from 13 July 2023 until 30 June 2024. Both trials allow the development of tailored approaches to remote employment, including a co-design process and trialling an incentive for eligible participants to build skills, supporting them to find and maintain employment, and contribute to their community.