RAC Background Information

Redfern Aboriginal Corporation (RAC) is a registered Aboriginal Corporation that operates a community managed Employment and Training program for Aboriginal clients from the inner city of Sydney. The goals of RAC are to establish a sound economic base to provide employment and training into the future for Aboriginal Community members of the Redfern area. RAC is a public benevolent institution that operates on a non-profit basis, with all income returned to the Community in the form of training and employment.

The major program that RAC operates is the Community Development Employment Program (CDEP). CDEP was an Aboriginal initiative commenced in 1976, at Burunga Community in the Northern Territory, where people gave up their entitlement to welfare benefits, in return for the opportunity to work for the community to earn those benefits. Today there are around 30,000 Aboriginal people who choose to work for CDEP wages.

RAC has an allocation of 100 positions under the federal scheme, including a cell at Marrickville to service the Aboriginal Community. RAC has a number of Community Development Projects and business ventures operating to provide employment and training to our people. Individuals must work 18-20 hours a week to earn equivalent of their welfare entitlements. RAC attempts, through businesses and individual contracts, to increase individuals' hours of employment and hence increase income.

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Community Development projects undertaken by RAC include:

- Community organization placement to place people in the local community organizations that suffer staff shortages due to budget restraints. Workers gain training, access to paid casual employment and often gain employment through these placements.

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IEC

The Indigenous Employment Centre (IEC) has been set up and funded by the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR) to assist Indigenous jobseekers to find work.

Participants who are connected to the CDEP can voluntarily apply to register with the IEC as an aid to finding employment. Once commenced in the IEC we will offer ongoing skills assessment and training both in-house and with external agencies.

Participants can expect a high level of expertise and support services to enable them to reach their highest levels of expectation. We will provide ongoing mentoring and post placement support on a weekly basis once the participant has found sustainable employment.

We have a plethora of Group Training Companies and employers across the spectrum of employment.


For further information about IEC please contact:

Jeff Bell
IEC Co-ordinator
Email: jeffice@bigpond.net.au

Or visit the CDEP website.

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