300 positions await Indigenous apprentices

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians have the chance to start a career in the public service

ABORIGINAL and Torres Strait Islander Australians have the opportunity to start a career in the public service as applications for the Indigenous Apprentices Program opened yesterday.

The program is seeking 300 individuals to take up entry-level positions within a range of agencies including the Department of Human Services.

Minister for Human Services and Digital Transformation Michael Keenan said boosting Indigenous employment rates is a key priority for the Coalition Government, which established the IAP in 2014 to provide a clear pathway into the public sector for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

"My own department of Human Services has taken on about 680 apprentices in the five years the program has been running, enabling us to meet a key workforce target of five percent Indigenous employment,” Minister Keenan said.

"That is something we are justifiably proud of and I strongly encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to apply for the 2020 intake for their chance to begin a rewarding career within the Australian Public Service.”

At the end of the 12-month training program, apprentices graduate with a full-time position and a nationally recognised certificate or diploma.

Since the program began, more than 1,000 people have taken up full-time positions.

Applications close on May 7, 2019, and can be lodged online at humanservices.gov.au/IAP.