Remote Training Hubs support Central Australian First Nations peoples access On-Country Vocational Education and Training (VET). The Hubs will help to ensure training meets community needs matched to local jobs.
On-Country training
The Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, the National Indigenous Australians Agency and the Northern Territory Government are working in partnership with First Nations peoples to establish up to 7 Remote Training Hubs across Central Australia.
The Hubs will:
- connect people with training for skills needed On-Country by delivering mobile training units and Hubs that enhance the quality and reach of On-Country training to the community
- assist with transport between locations
- engage mentors to help people connect training qualifications with a local job.
Hubs informed by community consultation and partnerships
The development of the Remote Training Hubs has been informed by community consultation undertaken in 2023 and guided by advice from the Central Australian Plan Aboriginal Leadership Group.
Partnerships and planning is underway to set up the Hubs. Announced in 2024, the Hubs in Yuendumu and Ntaria (Hermannsburg) are in the early stages of development, along with new Hub locations announced this year in Ltyentye Apurte (Santa Teresa), Papunya, Ti Tree, Mutijulu and Atitjere (Harts Range). There will be further engagement opportunities available across community clusters as the design and implementation progresses.The Hubs network will be established by 30 June 2028.
Mobile Training Units
Mobile Training Units (MTUs) are a key component of the Remote Training Hubs Network measure. Desert Peoples Centre Inc (DPC) is the successful recipient of a $3 million Grant to support the delivery of training in remote First Nations communities in Central Australia. DPC will deliver 4 custom-built and industry standard MTUs linked to the
following in-demand industries:
- Carpentry
- Conservation and Ecosystem Management
- Hospitality (Cookery)
- Resource and Infrastructure
DPC will lead a joint consortium to enhance the capability of Registered Training Organisations in remote Central Australia to:
- lift the availability of accredited VET
- enhance the ability to viably and affordably provide compliant, simulated work environments
- ensure that appropriate training can be delivered to communities.
The consortium in Central Australia is comprised of Centre for Appropriate Technology, Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education, Charles Darwin University and the Northern Territory Department of Education and Training.
Local Mentor Scoping Activity
A not-for-profit organisation which delivers local education, training and employment solutions in the Northern Territory, Saltbush Social Enterprises, have undertaken a scoping activity. The report produced from this activity will help identify:
- local employers, job vacancies and future workforce opportunities
- willingness and readiness of community members to take up skills and training activities and employment opportunities in the remote communities of Ntaria and Yuendumu
- a range of wrap around supports to improve outcomes for MTU and training Hub participants.
The scoping activity will help ensure the MTUs and Hubs are used in a way that best targets skills and training needs in remote communities. It will also help ensure that they are fit for purpose and will lead to better outcomes for First Nations peoples in Central Australia.
A Better, Safer Future for Central Australia
The Remote Training Hubs were announced by the Prime Minister on 13 February 2024, as part of the A Better, Safer Future for Central Australia. The Australian Government is investing $30.2 million over 5 years to create opportunities for people living in remote Central Australia, support job creation and improve On-Country learning.