The future of remote participation and employment servicing arrangements : discussion paper

There are around 500,000 people living in remote Australia and of these approximately 125,000 are Indigenous Australians. There are 2,000 remote and predominantly Indigenous communities in Australia. Remote Indigenous communtities face a range of challenges.

They often have varied and complex needs, and there may be limited access to employment opportunities or meaningful participation activities.

There are a significant number of people in remote communities with disibility. Often these disabilities are undisclosed and people do not get the help they need. Low levels of literacy and numeracy also act as a particular barrier to employment and participation.

In many remote communities there is a limited economy and labour market and there are few job opportunities available. Long-term reliance on income support can undermine individual capabilities and further entrench disadvantage. The focus for governments and individuals in remote areas is therefore on building individual capabilities, including foundational skills improving employment services to get more people in remote locations into hobs and creating meaningful participation activities.