Indigenous Skills and Employment Program – Stage One

The ISEP’s objective, in line with the National Roadmap for Indigenous Skills, Jobs and Wealth Creation, is to contribute to CtG targets in employment by supporting Indigenous Australians into skills, jobs, and career advancement pathways.

ISEP is a complementary Indigenous employment program that endeavours to work seamlessly alongside other Commonwealth or State and Territory funded employment programs.

ISEP activities will use innovative approaches to target specific local barriers, and encourage the aspirations of Indigenous people in specific areas. By targeting specific local barriers, ISEP aims to influence community attitudes towards employment and support industry in creating local and sustainable employment opportunities in the future.

The program will increase economic opportunities for Indigenous Australians and drive actions that connect Indigenous Australians to local jobs, targeted skills acquisition and career advancement opportunities. ISEP fosters partnerships and co-investment with key stakeholders at the local level, in particular with providers, state, territory and local government and employers, to realise mutually beneficial outcomes.

The intended outcomes of ISEP are that Indigenous Australians:

• Attain improved work readiness, foundational skills and job-specific skills;
• Achieve job outcomes as local barriers to employment are addressed;
• Sustain long-term, meaningful employment in a culturally safe workplace; and
• Advance and transition through career pathways in line with their aspirations.

ISEP aims to support activities that:

• Deliver targeted and place-based investment that takes advantage of local opportunities;
• Encourage partnership and co-investment between organisations and with employers;
• Collaborate with state, territory and local governments to deliver complementary (not duplicate) services;
• Improve employer attitudes and inclusive recruitment practices to drive a thriving Indigenous Australian workforce, particularly within small and medium enterprises;
• Respond to emerging regional labour market and industry needs;
• Are driven by Indigenous community needs and delivered in partnership, giving Indigenous people a say in decisions that affect them directly;
• Build the capacity of Indigenous organisations such as Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) to further employment and economic development outcomes; and
• Contribute to CtG targets 7 and 8 for Indigenous Australians and the priority reform areas (more information here), and the National Roadmap for Indigenous Skills, Jobs and Wealth Creation (more information here).

This ISEP grant opportunity will involve a two-stage competitive selection process:

• Stage One – An open competitive round which seeks to identify experienced organisations that demonstrate their capability to deliver ISEP outcomes, work in partnership, collaborate, leverage co-investment and build capability of Indigenous organisations, in particular ACCOs, at the local/regional level. Applicants successful in this stage will be required to co-design their activities with community, before progressing to Stage Two.
• Stage Two – A restricted competitive application process inviting Stage One grantees, who have undertaken a community co-design activity to submit a funding application