Let me begin our conversation with a simple story.
It is about Frank Mitchell.
Frank is from the great state of Western Australia.
He was a young, single father, and a proud Whadjuk-Yued Noongar man.
Grieving the loss of close friends and trying to find his path in life.
One day, Frank was offered an electrical apprenticeship by his uncle.
In Frank’s words:
“Someone’s belief in one person can change someone’s life.”
And what a change this has made.
He is now a business owner pledging to create the same opportunities for Mob.
His businesses in the West have created dozens of jobs for First Nations people.
And our nation recognised his efforts by awarding him as Australia’s Local Hero, as part of the 2026 Australian of the Year Awards.
He told the awards that;
“I now understand that work and education are not just about income or career progression.
“They are determinants of health and wellbeing.
“Completing my electrical apprenticeship gave me pride, hope, and stability.
“It gave me the foundation to provide for my family and to grow into a leader within my community.”
For many First Nations people, employment is more than work.
It is about dignity.
It is about people, family and culture.
It is about confidence and connection.
Employment sits alongside responsibilities to family, community and Country.
And that’s something we all must recognise – governments and the private sector.
And it is something we must address, together.
Work of the Alliance
This is where the work of the Alliance is so important.
I want to thank each of you who are here today for the work you do.
We value the close links between the Alliance and the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations.
Just one example of these close links is one of my department’s own employees.
Here today is Phoebe Frederick.
Phoebe is in the middle of a 12-month secondment with the Alliance.
And has brought a wealth of experience in Indigenous employment policy, systems thinking and research.
Using this opportunity to help strengthen Indigenous employment service providers across Australia.
Making sure that the reality on the ground is translated back into policy settings in Canberra.
This is exactly the kind of partnerships that go to the heart of Closing the Gap.
Every minister in the Albanese Government takes responsibility for this commitment.
I also acknowledge the department’s efforts to embed Closing the Gap in its new Strategic Framework.
The Strategic Framework establishes the key priorities of DEWR.
We could not have done that work without stakeholders speaking honestly to us.
The Alliance was key to this and I want to thank you.
Employment services reform
That is the approach we are taking as we reform our employment services system.
Too many people have fallen through the cracks in a one-size-fits-all system.
Australians deserve a system more responsive to participants, right from first assessment and triaging.
The old system was created when people would look for jobs printed in the classifieds, then mail off a printed resume, or use a fax if you were fancy.
We need a system that reflects the digital revolution that has happened since the 1990s.
Under our reformed system, an Employment Goal Plan will guide each participant’s journey through employment services.
Driving credible pathways to sustained employment and meaningful mutual obligation requirements.
But to do this successfully, we must engage.
And we must listen.
Continous listening
Thank you to everyone who has engaged in our consultations.
I was pleased to host consultations here in Brisbane, along with Darwin and Broome amongst others.
We are gathering feedback and ideas to get this massive reform right.
We saw some 4000 people put their hand up to help through the The Lived Experience Panel.
This has led to the establishment of a dedicated working group.
This amplifies First Nations voices alongside targeted focus groups so we hear experiences good and bad and can break down unnecessary barriers.
We also have the Employment Services Reform Advisory Group.
This brings together practical experience and technical expertise.
And again, I want to thank Kylie Penehoe and her work with this group - a direct avenue for the Alliance’s expertise to feed into this reform.
Alongside these forums, we have collected feedback and ideas through Community Forums and a written discussion paper.
There have been eight First Nations-led focus groups to hear directly from people using employment services, as well as community organisations and employers.
I thank First Nations groups who have told us what we are doing right – and what needs to change.
In Broome, we heard from a respected Elder and Traditional Owner why a one-size-fits-all approach cannot deliver effective support in every community.
One-size-fits-all ignores barriers such as housing, health, distance, thin employment markets and the cost of delivering services on the ground.
Here in Brisbane in June, we heard that there is a real need for an approach that starts with the community, not the system.
That is why these reforms are about building a better employment services system that can work better with communities, providers and employers.
All of this points us in one direction – more Australians in work.
Learning and adapting
Work changes people’s lives.
But work isn’t anyone’s whole life.
Our Parent Pathways program recognises this.
This program has gone from baby to toddler and just celebrated its second birthday.
Parent Pathways provides a safe environment for participants to share what is happening in their lives.
It is participants and mentors working together towards identified goals, including work and education.
Twenty per cent of participants nationally are First Nations.
I have seen the success of this program across the country.
At Parent Pathways in Cairns, they are partnering with a NDIS service provider to help people access wraparound assistance.
This is precisely what we are keen to see as part of the third intensive stream for the reformed employment services system.
And this program only works by building trust.
And trust is also central to our National Agreement on Closing the Gap.
It is how we work together to build a strong and sustainable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled sector.
Broome Employment Services is a strong example of this.
It was designed to better suit the unique circumstances of the region.
A central focus on supporting First Nations job seekers, building provider capability, and stronger local relationships.
Along with embedded Australian Public Service personnel working alongside the service provider.
And the trial has been a success.
685 job placements to the end of September.
On average of 20 per month.
That’s a threefold increase on just six jobs per month under the previous model.
Out of those 685 job placements, 200 resulted in a 26-week outcome.
The lesson from Broome is simple.
Government does not create employment outcomes on its own.
Providers cannot do it alone either.
Real progress happens when we work together.
And it is a powerful example of Closing the Gap in action.
Real innovation fund
As many of you may already be aware, today my colleagues Minister McCarthy and Minister Rishworth have made a major announcement.
First Nations people who have had contact with the justice system will be supported to build skills, find secure work and create new opportunities.
Through community-led employment and training projects funded through the Reconnection, Employment and Learning (REAL) Innovation Fund.
Through this fund the Albanese Government will provide tailored support for more than 2,500 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across the country.
Including here in Queensland, where funding will be directed towards Sisters Inside and Yiliyapinya Indigenous Corporation.
Funded opportunities will include welding and manufacturing training, paid work in recycling and pathways into apprenticeships and traineeships.
Along with supporting people to obtain the skills needed for jobs in care and community services.
Crucially, participants will receive practical assistance.
Including paid work placements, mentoring, career planning and accredited training to help them prepare for, find and keep work.
Importantly, this work is designed and led by First Nations organisations.
Making sure your communities are at the heart of making the decisions that will impact your futures.
Everyone deserves the opportunity to build a better future through secure and meaningful work.
Having the right support can make a real difference.
Building confidence, gaining skills and creating new opportunities for the future.
And with First Nations communities in the driver’s seat of the program, along with practical wraparound supports, we are confident this will deliver real opportunity.
What's next on the reform journey
There is still a journey before we unveil the fine detail of these reforms.
But I can assure you cultural safety is of central importance.
Across the system we will maintain First Nations-led training, resources and service standards.
The views of the Alliance and other ESRAG members will inform how cultural safety is embedded in system design and provider performance frameworks.
Payment models are also a significant element of these reforms.
They are ultimately a strong driver of provider behaviour and participant outcomes.
We are also considering tailored supports to strengthen capacity and workforce readiness.
And we must foster and develop the skills of the First Nations VET workforce.
This will help ensure organisations are well positioned to deliver services effectively and sustainably.
Investing in First Nations vocational education and training (VET)
The Australian Government is committed to Closing the Gap in skills and training as evidenced by our commitment through the National Skills Agreement (NSA).
VET qualifications remain the primary post- school pathway to tertiary attainment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
The government is investing $31 million to deliver Mobile TAFE.
Mobile Training Units will enable VET providers to take skills on the road and train the next generation of workers in outer regional and remote communities.
The National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) has been funded $2.279 million.
To deliver culturally safe training to First Nations participants.
Participants are learning across a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment and the Diploma of Vocational Education and Training.
There have already been dozens of graduations under the program.
And we know this is important work which supports building the First Nations VET workforce.
And from 1 January 2023 to 30 June 2026, Free TAFE has supported over 851,000 enrolments nationally.
Including over 53,000 Free TAFE enrolments by First Nations learners, or 6.2 per cent of the program overall.
Private sector involvement
It is often the private sector leading the way on culturally-safe workplaces.
To go back to Frank Mitchell, the Local Hero of the year for 2026.
Frank and his partners have created over 70 Aboriginal upskilling positions in the electrician and construction sector.
Thirty of which are for women.
These employees are helping to address one of our national priorities: homes for more Australians.
At the same time, they are creating a ripple effect for young people that can last a lifetime.
This is what we want to foster.
A shared responsibility across all parts of the economy.
The private sector should lean in – like Frank is.
And that is why the work of the Alliance is going to be important.
Not just to provide culturally-safe opportunities for participants.
But supporting employers to provide that support as well.
The Alliance’s First Nations Employment Index provides evidence and recommendations.
And the practical guide to cultural safety, and masterclass series, help strengthen systems to attract and retain First Nations employees.
The Australian Public Service must also be a model employer in this space.
Secondees like Phoebe from my department are great, but they must form part of a broader engagement.
Last year we reached our target of 100 First Nations staff in the Senior Executive Service of the Australian Public Service.
But we have more work to do to reach our broader target of five per cent First Nations representation across the APS by the turn of the decade.
Another part of the picture is the Fair Work Commission.
Following the government’s Secure Jobs, Better Pay reforms in 2022, gender equality is at the heart of the workplace relations system.
And the heart of the decision making of the Commission.
The Commission initiated a review of 5 priority Awards to address a long-standing inequity and as a result awarded substantial pay increases.
One of those Awards was for some workers employed in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health services.
It means once pay increases are in place, those workers will be earning between 10.7 per cent and 35.2 per cent more than they used to.
Fair wages, secure work and culturally-safe workplaces.
All essential ingredients for a health community.
Conclusion
Success will look different for everyone.
But it must also be judged a success not just in the eyes of the government.
Success must be in the eyes of the communities we serve.
One key element is essential.
Lasting change begins with listening, and it grows through trust.
It means culturally-safe services and stronger community-controlled organisations.
And a workforce that understands the people and places it serves.
The Alliance will continue to be an important partner in that work.
We want our partnership with you to be even stronger in the years ahead.
Thank you for the trust you have placed in us.
Together I am confident we can make a difference to those we both serve.
Respecting culture.
Building local solutions.
Closing the gap.
And ensuring the life-changing power of employment is available to all.
Thank you.