Indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion visited Armadale and Welshpool on Monday to tour the work of two Vocational Education and Training Centres (VTEC).
VTECs were started in 2014 as part of a $45 million 2013 election commitment from the Coalition.
They operate on the Generation One employment model, a demand-driven model that matches candidates with high barriers to employment with specific job training.
Across the country, more than 4000 indigenous job seekers have been placed into jobs through the VTEC system with an unprecedented retention rate of more than 80 per cent after 26 weeks in employment.
Mr Scullion visited the At Work VTEC in Armadale and Linkforce Engineering in Welshpool.
He met some of the recent cohort of 21 indigenous job seekers who had recently completed training, qualifying them to work in roles in the mining and construction industries.
At Work VTEC coordinator Michael Wear said VTECs helped unlock invisible barriers experienced by Aboriginal job seekers.
“Knowing that there is a light at the end of the tunnel and being able to utilise the guaranteed job component of the program is what sets it apart,” he said.
Liberal candidate for Burt and Generation One chief operating officer Matt O’Sullivan said it was great to have the minister out to the electorate to see VTECs in action.
“The training actually matches the needs of employers rather than training for training sake, we’re training people for a guaranteed job,” he said.
