RDA-HUNTER’S AEOP PROGRAM A NSW TRAINING AWARDS FINALIST

RDA Hunter’s Aboriginal Employment Opportunities Program (AEOP) will tonight be judged in the NSW Training Awards. AEOP is among finalists in the Industry Collaboration Award category.

AEOP was designed to improve employment and training outcomes for Aboriginal people in the Hunter by bridging the divide between employers and Aboriginal communities.

“The program built partnerships between industry, training organisations, community and development agents, employment service providers, transport operators and government.  It also encouraged industry to develop protocols for employing Aboriginals.” said RDA Hunter CEO, Todd Williams.

“AEOP was extremely successful with 311 indigenous participants and 234 indigenous employment placements achieved.”

“The program is critical in the region for both employers to source skilled labour for their businesses, and of course important for indigenous communities to be skilled in appropriate areas of need for industry” continued Mr Williams.

The AEOP was funded by the Department of Education and Workplace Relations and The Department of Education and Communities, State Training Services. The NSW Department of Trade and Investment and the Department of Premier and Cabinet provided project support.

The NSW Training Awards are conducted annually by the NSW Department of Education and Training (DET) to recognise outstanding achievement in the vocational education and training sector.

The Awards ceremony will be attended by 870 people at Darling Harbour’s Convention Centre. It will be hosted by the Minister for Education, The Hon. Adrian Piccoli, MP.

For more information contact Todd Williams, CEO, RDA Hunter on 0418 115 577