REGIONAL EDUCATION, SKILLS AND JOBS
PLAN
NORTHERN TERRITORY
2012 – 2014
JULY 2013
This plan was first published in July 2012. This is the July 2013 edition.
Details in this report are correct at time of drafting.
This report can be found at the Regional Education, Skills and Jobs webpage (www.deewr.gov.au/resj) or the
My Region website (www.myregion.gov.au).
For more information about this plan, please contact:
The Office of Regional Education, Skills and Jobs
GPO Box 9880
Canberra ACT 2601
Email: oresj@deewr.gov.au
ISBN:
978-0-642-78637-1 [PDF]
978-0-642-78638-8 [DOCX]
With the exception of the Commonwealth Coat of Arms and where otherwise noted all material presented in this
document is provided under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia licence
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/au/).
The details of the relevant licence conditions (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/au/legalcode) are
available on the Creative Commons website (accessible using the links provided) as is the full legal code for the
CC BY 3.0 AU licence.
The document must be attributed as the Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan 2012-14 – Northern Territory.
Disclaimer about data used in this plan
Data used in the development of this plan comes from a variety of sources and was correct at time of drafting. This
document should not be used as a data source as data referred to may have been updated or reformulated since
the publication of the plan. Refer to primary sources for confirmation of data.
Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Northern Territory 2
www.deewr.gov.au/resj
CONTENTS
Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plans ................................................................................ 5
Strategies .................................................................................................................................................. 5
Community engagement........................................................................................................................... 5
Implementation ........................................................................................................................................ 5
Executive summary ................................................................................................................ 6
Characteristics of the region ................................................................................................... 8
Population ................................................................................................................................................. 8
Early childhood education and care .......................................................................................................... 9
School education ..................................................................................................................................... 11
Tertiary education and training .............................................................................................................. 13
Jobs, skills and workforce development ................................................................................................. 13
Other characteristics ............................................................................................................................... 16
The Economy ....................................................................................................................................... 16
National Broadband Network ............................................................................................................. 16
Tourism ............................................................................................................................................... 17
Remote Service Delivery...................................................................................................................... 17
Issues, goals and strategies ................................................................................................... 18
Issue 1 A high percentage of children are assessed as developmentally vulnerable under the
Australian Early Development Index (AEDI)............................................................................................ 19
Issue 2 Shortage of qualified early childhood educators in the Northern Territory to meet the
requirements under the new National Quality Framework. .................................................................. 20
Issue 3 Low school attendance rates and low completion rates leading to varying educational
outcomes, in particular with Indigenous students in remote regions. ................................................... 21
Issue 4
Text Youth disengaged from school, training or work. ........................................................... 22
Issue 5
Meeting current skill shortages for emerging and growth industries..................................... 23
Issue 6 Indigenous job seekers in the Northern Territory have significantly high levels of
disadvantage and barriers to work. ........................................................................................................ 24
Issue 7
Limited employment opportunities for the working age population in remote communities. ..
................................................................................................................................................. 25
Issue 8
Meeting the significant and rapidly growing workforce demands of the resources sector. .. 26
Issue 9 Maintaining community and corporate confidence in business areas outside major
development areas (such as Darwin) to support more evenly spread economic growth and community
stability across the Northern Territory. .................................................................................................. 27
Appendices .......................................................................................................................... 28
Appendix A — Stakeholders .................................................................................................................... 28
Appendix B — Existing related plans and strategies ............................................................................... 29
Abbreviations ....................................................................................................................... 32
REGIONAL EDUCATION, SKILLS AND JOBS PLANS
The Australian Government announced the Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plans initiative in the
2011–12 Budget, as part of the Building Australia’s Future Workforce package. The initiative addresses
four key areas of the Australian Government’s productivity and social inclusion agendas: early childhood
education and care; Year 12 attainment; participation in vocational and higher education; and local job
opportunities.
The Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) has deployed 34 Regional
Education, Skills and Jobs (RESJ) Coordinators to work with local stakeholders to develop Regional
Education, Skills and Jobs Plans for the 46 Regional Development Australia (RDA) areas that cover nonmetropolitan Australia.
The plans present locally identified opportunities and challenges and outline local strategies to improve
education, skills and jobs outcomes in regional Australia.
For more information, including the contact details of your local RESJ Coordinator, please refer to the
Regional Education, Skills and Jobs webpage at www.deewr.gov.au/resj.
Strategies
Each plan reflects community priorities and includes goals and local strategies to achieve the
community’s objectives, based on four key themes: early childhood education and care; school
education; tertiary education and training; and jobs, skills and workforce development.
The plans build on the range of services and programs already offered by DEEWR and the strategies draw
on the programs of other government agencies and the opportunities arising from major local projects.
Community engagement
The plans were developed by RESJ Coordinators with close community engagement and include views
from young people, parents, employers, educators, service providers, peak bodies, community leaders,
government organisations and agencies, and other interested individuals and organisations. The plans
draw strongly upon existing strategic plans in each region, including the local RDA regional plan.
DEEWR acknowledges the traditional owners of the Northern Territory and their elders past and present
recognising their continuing connection to country. This plan strives to build and harness mutually
respectful relationships and reflect community priorities in education, skills and jobs development for
the region.
Implementation
The RESJ Coordinator, on behalf of DEEWR, will oversee the implementation of the strategies and
promote and coordinate linkages between the government agencies, providers and stakeholders
involved in this plan’s implementation.
Progress towards achieving the goals within each plan will be closely monitored, while stakeholders will
be kept informed through participation in plan strategies.
This edition incorporates strategies that respond to changes in local circumstances identified through
continuing community input or changing government priorities in regional Australia as well as access to
new data. The plans continue to be living and responsive documents that will be revisited throughout
their implementation to June 2014.
Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Northern Territory 5
www.deewr.gov.au/resj
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Northern Territory covers approximately one sixth of the Australian continent, with an area of
1.35 million square kilometres. Approximately four-fifths of the Northern Territory (1.09 million square
kilometres) lies within the Tropics and the 6200 kilometre coastline is generally flat, backed by swamps,
mangroves and mudflats. In the north (Top End), there are two seasons (wet and dry), with Central
Australia experiencing more arid conditions, lower rainfall and the four traditional seasons.
The Northern Territory is made up of a number of communities covered by 17 Local Government Areas
(LGAs) which are classified as either municipalities (inner-city suburban areas and smaller rural towns) or
shires (rural or outer suburban areas) and six unincorporated areas.
There are five municipalities (Darwin, Palmerston, Alice Springs, Katherine and Litchfield) and 11 shire
councils (Central Desert, Barkly, McDonnell, Roper Gulf, Victoria Daly, Belyuen, Coomalie, East Arnhem,
Tiwi Islands, West Arnhem and Wagait).
There are also six unincorporated areas of relatively small size that do not belong in any LGA: the Darwin
Waterfront; Nhulunbuy; Alyangula; Unincorporated Top End Region (Finnis-Mary); Darwin Rates Act Area
(East Arm); and Yulara.
Darwin is the capital city, with the City of Palmerston being the second largest city and Alice Springs, the
third largest city in the Territory.
The economy of the Northern Territory is very diverse. The Northern Territory has an abundance of
natural resources, a large public sector and a significant defence presence. The importance of mining and
mining-related production will increase as production reaches full capacity once the major infrastructure
projects are completed.
A comprehensive environmental scan and community consultation have been carried out to identify the
key education, skills and jobs challenges for the region. These challenges include:
 improving the outcomes for children in the Northern Territory in relation to the five domains
measured by the Australian Early Development Index (AEDI)
 shortage of qualified early childhood educators to comply with the National Quality Framework
 meeting Closing the Gap targets in early childhood education and care, school education and
employment outcomes for Indigenous Australians
 some youth are disengaged from school, training or work
 limited opportunities for the working age population in remote communities
 meeting the workforce needs of industry, including the resources sector
 maintaining community and corporate confidence in business areas outside major development
areas to support more evenly spread economic growth and community stability.
Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Northern Territory 6
www.deewr.gov.au/resj
The key goals of the RESJ Plan are to:
 ensure that adequate, affordable and quality child care places are available, improving outcomes
for Northern Territory children
 help to develop a skilled, inclusive and sustainable workforce that meets the requirements of
industry and the National Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education and Care
 implement programs and projects targeting Closing the Gap measures for Indigenous people
 increase participation in education, retention in the education system and completion of
education certificates and qualifications
 develop a skilled workforce to meet industry demand.
The region has an RDA Committee with a broad plan including education, skills and employment
opportunities. This RESJ Plan complements the goals and strategies in the RDA plan.
Some outcomes achieved by the Northern Territory RESJ Coordinators working with local stakeholders
include:



Identifying, developing and implementing a 13 week pilot for a 5 minute radio segment with the
Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association (CAAMA). CAAMA Radio has an audience of
approximately 400,000 listeners across Central Australia. The segment identified jobs and
training opportunities available through the Jobs Services Australia (JSA) and Disability
Employment Services (DES) providers and their remote community travel schedules. The pilot
was highly successful with JSA and DES providers reporting an increase in job seekers attending
their appointments, as well as an increase in employers contacting them to list job vacancies.
The RESJ Coordinator is now looking at ways to continue with this success through a permanent
segment.
Working in partnership with the NT Government and other key stakeholders on opportunities for
local employment and business arising from the Inpex “Ichthys” oil and gas project. DEEWR has
supported a number of projects by providing funding through the Indigenous Employment
Program. One of these projects is focused on mentoring 60 trainees, targeting 50 employment
outcomes. In April 2013, 32 participants had completed their training and 25 employment
opportunities had been identified. The RESJ Coordinator also supports the Inpex project through
providing information on other Government programs and linkages to appropriate persons to
assist organisations meet their needs.
Holding Early Childhood Industry Round Tables focussing on specific issues, identified at the first
Round Table held in June 2012, such as linking support services and information to Industry
members. As a result there have been direct linkages from services to:
o a labour hire company specialising in education for recruitment and employment
(including emergency workforce)
o the Charles Darwin University training hub to advertise their employment opportunities
to students training in this field
o key organisations in considering apprenticeship opportunities.
o
one organisation recruiting more than 30 job seekers into their in-house Community
Services training program. Twenty four participants have completed Certificates I and II
(including a 6 week work experience program). Over 50 per cent of the participants are
now engaged in sustainable full time employment and others in casual and part-time
arrangements.
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE REGION
This section sets out the characteristics of the region identified through a comprehensive environmental
scan and local consultations. The information detailed in this section is not exhaustive of the
characteristics of the region, but provides an overview and insight to some of the challenges facing the
region.
To guide the RESJ Coordinator’s identification of issues and engagement with the community, various
data sets have supported the development of this plan. Data used in the development of this plan was
sourced from DEEWR, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) and other relevant sources. Data referred
to may have been reformulated and was correct at time of drafting. Different data sets are refreshed at
different intervals, for example, unemployment rates are updated monthly for national and
state/territory figures and quarterly for regions.
Population
The ABS estimated the residential population of the Northern Territory at 30 June 2011 was 231,331—
approximately 0.4 per cent more than the estimated population in 2010. The majority of the population
resides in the Darwin, Palmerston and Litchfield Region (approx. 55.5%), with 12.3 per cent in
Alice Springs and the rest dispersed across the Northern Territory.
Table 1: Percentage of Indigenous Persons, by Local Government Area
Region
Population
Growth (%)
Indigenous persons (%)
28,449
-0.70
18.6
Barkly
7889
0.10
61.3
Belyuen
204
-0.50
94.7
Central Desert
4306
-1.40
68.5
Coomalie
1253
-0.90
16.2
Darwin
78,684
0.50
8.4
East Arnhem
10,590
2.20
89.7
Katherine
10,355
-0.3
22.3
Litchfield
20,039
1.7
6.6
MacDonnell
6761
-0.9
74.4
Palmerston
29,301
0.1
11.1
Roper Gulf
7097
1.1
64.2
Tiwi Islands
3002
3
85.8
Victoria-Daly
6850
0.6
70.2
Wagait
415
5.1
3.6
West Arnhem
7214
1.6
61.8
Unincorporated
8922
0.2
10.7
231,331
0.4
24.9
Alice Springs
Total
Source: ABS estimated residential population, June 2011
Note: The percentage of Indigenous persons relates to place of enumeration in which a dwelling (and therefore any persons
within the dwelling) was counted on Census Night.
Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Northern Territory 8
www.deewr.gov.au/resj
It is estimated that approximately 24.9 per cent (56,777) of the population is Indigenous, with the
majority living in remote communities. Approximately 15.1 per cent of the population were born
overseas, most from north-west Europe.
The Northern Territory in general has a young population with 22.7 per cent aged between 0 to 14 years,
71.8 per cent aged 15 to 64 years and 5.5 per cent of people aged 65 years and over.
Early childhood education and care
The Australian Early Development Index (AEDI) measures young children’s development across five
domains: physical health and well-being; social competence; emotional maturity; school-based language
and cognitive skills; and general knowledge. 2009 AEDI data indicated at a national level, 23.6 per cent of
children were vulnerable on one or more domain and 11.8 per cent were vulnerable on two or more
domains.
Table 2: Australian Early Development Index results in the Northern Territory region (%)
Developmentally vulnerable on
one or more domain/s
Developmentally vulnerable on
two or more domains
Northern Territory
38.7
23.4
Australia
23.6
11.8
Source: Australian Early Development Index, 2009
2009 AEDI data shows that, in general, communities in the Northern Territory have more children
developmentally vulnerable on one or more and two or more domains compared to the national
average. The AEDI found the community of Palmerston had the lowest proportion of vulnerable children.
It was the only Northern Territory community to match the national average on one or more domains
and fall below the national average on two or more domains. The AEDI communities of Tiwi, Finniss,
Daly, Gulf, Barkly South, Tanami and Hanson had the highest proportions of vulnerable children—more
than tripling the national averages on both measures.
In comparison with all Australian children, a much higher proportion of Northern Territory children live in
remote communities and in very remote communities. Language and cognitive skills is an area of
particular vulnerability with boys in the Northern Territory who are significantly more likely to be
developmentally vulnerable than girls.
In 2010 the Northern Territory Government provided information on school participation rates in its
annual report on the Council of Australian Government Partnership Agreements. Overall, preschool
participation rates were the same in 2010 as they had been in 2008, but the proportion of disadvantaged
children within that population had increased by 4.9 per cent and the proportion of Indigenous children
had increased by 0.7 per cent. Indigenous children made up 39.5 per cent of the preschool population,
compared to 42 per cent of the overall population of 4 year olds.
At the start of the 2012 school year, approximately 85 per cent of Territory preschools were providing
15 hours or more to each child per week. To ensure the education models best suit the needs of the
school and the community, Territory preschools had consulted both within their school and more
broadly with their community.
In the Northern Territory, there are several early childhood services which are supported through
Australian Government’s Budget Based Funding (BBF). BBF ensures access to a range of different types of
early childhood services based on the needs of the communities in which they operate by:



improving the quality of the buildings from which BBF services operate
improving the qualifications of staff working in BBF services through the flexible delivery of
training
helping services to strengthen their governance and administrative capacity.
Preliminary consultations with stakeholders in the Northern Territory have revealed a degree of
uncertainty in meeting the changes to educator-to-child ratios and qualifications of staff being phased in
between 2012 and 2020 as part of the National Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education and
Care (NQF). The NQF aims to raise quality and drive continuous improvement and consistency in
education and care services.
It is apparent that some services are better prepared than others to implement the NQF reforms. At
present there are many experienced early childhood education employees that have worked in the
industry for a long time with minimal or no qualifications, including those in Outside School Hours Care.
The changes will present challenges for existing facilities and for employees currently working in the
sector. There is uncertainty from stakeholders about the new qualification requirements for staff, new
adjustments to child to teacher ratios and the implementation of the National Partnership Agreement on
Early Childhood Education for children in preschool. The industry will need to be responsive to the
potential outcomes of these changes, such as current employees choosing to leave the sector rather
than complete further education, and will need strategies to attract and retain new workers. There is a
need to provide coordination and support to the sector as it transitions to the new arrangements.
The Northern Territory has two Home Interaction Program for Parents and Youngsters (HIPPY) sites
located in Alice Springs and Katherine. The HIPPY program is a home-based parenting and early
childhood enrichment program targeting disadvantaged communities. The HIPPY Alice Springs site
commenced in 2009 with the program being delivered by the Yipirinya School. The HIPPY Katherine site
commenced in 2010 with the program being delivered by Anglicare NT. HIPPY providers work with
Indigenous and non Indigenous families. These families come from low socio-economic backgrounds and
are some of the most disadvantaged families in Australia.
The HIPPY program is funded by the Australian Government and is currently delivered in 50 communities
across Australia and will be expanded to an additional 50 locations, with an emphasis on Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander communities. Twenty five new locations will commence program delivery in 2014
with the remaining 25 new locations commencing in 2015. From 2015, HIPPY will be operating in 100
locations across Australia, targeting around 2250 children (aged four years) each year.
School education
According to the Australian Schools Directory, there are 192 schools in the Northern Territory with about
58 schools in Darwin. The majority of schools are government schools (151), followed by the
Independent and Catholic Education sectors.
Recent National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) results show that although
some Territory schools are performing well and others have improved their performance, there is still a
gap between Northern Territory schools and the Australian average, in particular in remote communities
where English may be the second or third language.
The Northern Territory Department of Education and Children’s Services has reported school attendance
and retention rates are also below the Australian average, and this is lower for Indigenous students. The
percentage of students attending school varies across the Northern Territory. For example, in
2012 attendance at provincial schools, averaging 89 per cent (82.3% for Indigenous children and 90.6%
for non-Indigenous children). In remote schools the average was 84.8 per cent (77.9% for Indigenous
children and 91% for non-Indigenous children – a slight decrease for Indigenous students from 2011). In
very remote schools, the average was 63.5 per cent (59.6% for Indigenous children and 88.7% for nonIndigenous children).
As part of its commitment to increase and improve educational outcomes for young Territorians, the
Northern Territory Government has made it compulsory for children to attend school every day, and to
complete Year 10 or, if under 17 years, take part in education unless in full-time training or work.
Understanding that there are many reasons children may not meet these requirements, the Northern
Territory Government has developed and implemented the Every Child, Every Day strategy to meet the
challenges of these compulsory requirements. A key element is to encourage families to ensure that
children attend school regularly, using new and innovative support strategies balanced with strong
deterrent measures.
The Focus School Next Steps Initiative is an Australian Government commitment of $30 million over two
years beginning 2012 to directly assist 101 specially selected schools across Australia to improve the
attendance and literacy and numeracy results of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. This
investment has provided extra assistance to kick start the implementation of success factors aimed at
lifting the attendance, engagement and educational achievement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
students.
The initiative is being delivered in Holy Spirit Catholic Primary School (Wanguri); Braitling Primary School
(Alice Springs); Humpty Doo Primary School; Katherine South Primary School; Malak Primary School;
Wagaman Primary School; Bakewell Primary School (Palmerston); Driver Primary School (Palmerston);
Clyde Fenton Primary School (Katherine); Larapinta Primary School (Alice Springs) and Nhulunbuy
Primary School.
The Stronger Futures for the Northern Territory package will provide funding to support quality teaching
in remote communities and measures to support school attendance, including school nutritional
programs and Improving School Enrolment and Attendance through the Welfare Reform Measure. These
measures will be closely aligned with the Northern Territory Government’s Every Child Every Day
strategy, to ensure greater engagement between schools and families and to give parents extra support
when they need it.
Twelve regional and remote schools will receive funding of up to $500,000 (per year) to take part in the
Indigenous Ranger Cadetship (IRC) Pilot. The Indigenous Ranger Cadetship pilot is part of the Australian
Government’s commitment to Building Australia’s Future Workforce and aims to assist Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander young people complete school and encourage further study, training, jobs and
careers in land, sea and natural resource management.
The pilot will provide culturally relevant school-based learning, develop industry appropriate skills for
employment and assist in closing the gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and all
student Year 12 attainment rates by 2020. Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Catholic College in Wadeye,
Yirrkala Community Education Centre and Shepherdson College in Galiwinku are part of the IRC pilot. The
IRC pilot will test approaches to the development and implementation of Indigenous Ranger Cadetship
programs in regional and remote communities as part of the Australian Government’s commitment to
Building Australia’s Future Workforce. The IRC pilot aims to assist Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
young people complete school and build their capacity for further study, training, jobs and careers in
land, sea and natural resource management. The IRC pilot will engage students in culturally relevant
school-based programs involving land, sea and natural resource management, heritage related activities
and cultural studies. The school-based program of study will be based on the Certificate I in Conservation
and Land Management as well as selected Units from the Certificate II in Conservation and Land
Management.
The Trade Training Centres in Schools Program will provide $2.5 billion from 2008 – 2018 to enable
secondary schools across Australia to seek funding for Trade Training Centres. The Program allows
students from Years 9-12 to access vocational education and training through Trade Training Centres to
give them a broader range of options, to help improve Year 12 retention rates and enhance pathways
into vocational careers. This program supports the implementation of the National Trade Cadetship
initiative, which will be an option for Years 9-12 under the National Curriculum and will be delivered
through trade Training Centres and other accredited training providers.
There are currently 13 Trade Training Centres in Schools funding applications approved for the NT (3 in
Darwin, 1 in Alice Springs, 1 in Barkly, 3 in East Arnhem, 1 in Katherine, 2 in Top End and 2 in West
Arnhem). Some of these are regionally focused and include schools in nearby communities.
Tertiary education and training
The Northern Territory has two dual-sector, post-secondary providers: Charles Darwin University and the
Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education (BIITE). There are also two non-self-accrediting
higher education institutions, the College of Law and the Institute of Chartered Accountants.
Charles Darwin University (CDU) is the largest of the tertiary institutions, with approximately 22,000
students. Of those at CDU approximately 13,000 students are enrolled in vocational education and
training (VET). CDU has campuses in Darwin, Palmerston, Nhulunbuy, Katherine and Alice Springs, with
annexes in some of the larger Indigenous communities. The university offers a range of disciplines,
including medicine which began in 2011.
BIITE delivers a range of programs, including VET. Close links between BIITE and the Indigenous
communities it serves has led to the development of a ‘mixed mode’ form of course delivery. This mixed
mode combines community-based study and research, field study and supervised work experience with
short, intensive residential workshops at a number of sites, including Batchelor and other regional
locations. This model responds to the lack of infrastructure, funding and staffing resources in many of
the Northern Territory’s remote communities. In 2011, BIITE’s annual report indicated it had 2905
students (1670 female and 1235 male). Most (2550) were enrolled in VET courses, with only 355 people
studying higher education courses.
In 2011, the ABS estimated 39.7 per cent of the Northern Territory population aged 15 years and over
had post school qualifications. This compares with 44.4 per cent across Australia.
As at December 2012 there were approximately 4000 traineeships and apprenticeships underway in the
Northern Territory. Of these, approximately 45.6 per cent are in relation to those listed on the
National Skills Needs List, 22.8 per cent of all trainees are Indigenous and 25 per cent of all trainees are
existing workers.
Jobs, skills and workforce development
Labour force statistics released by the ABS in January 2013 showed employment growth (0.8%) was
lower than the national average (1%) over the year to January 2013. In January 2013, the unemployment
rate in the Northern Territory (3.9%) continues to be lower than the national figure (5.4%), although it
has been decreasing in recent months (an overall fall of 0.3% since January 2012), indicating a tightening
in the Northern Territory labour market.
As at December 2012, the Northern Territory labour force participation rate was 74 per cent (higher than
the national rate of 65%). There were 125,200 people employed (67,200 males and 58,000 females), an
increase of 992 since January 2012. Of the 125,200 people employed, 24,200 were employed part-time.
However, participation rates and unemployment rates in regional communities vary significantly in
comparison to major towns and cities such as Darwin. The table below shows the variation across the
regions of the Northern Territory. Remote communities have significantly higher percentages of
unemployment.
Table 3: Unemployment rate in the Northern Territory region (%)
Statistical Local Areas
Dec 2010
Dec 2011
Dec 2012
Alice Springs
4.5
5.5
6.2
Darwin
1.5
1.7
1.9
Katherine
5.6
6.6
7.6
Tennant Creek
5.3
7.4
8.1
Top End
4.4
5.5
6.4
Source: http://www.deewr.gov.au/lmip/
The level of advertised vacancies tightened over the year to November 2012, indicating a weakening in
the demand for labour and decrease in the number of employers advertising vacancies. DEEWR’s
Northern Territory Skill Shortages publication for January 2013 indicates that the construction industry is
the largest employer with 18.8 per cent of the Territory’s employment, followed by manufacturing
(15.1%) and public administration and safety (13.4%). Thirteen industries increased their employment
over the year to November 2012 with the largest number of new jobs created in agriculture, forestry and
fishing (up by 1400), electricity, gas, water and waste services (1300), and manufacturing (1300). Six
industries recorded decreases; other services (down by 1500) and transport, postal and warehousing
(down by 1000) recorded the largest decreases.
Skill shortages are apparent across almost all occupational groups, trades and professions in the
Northern Territory. Overall, the proportion of vacancies filled declined in the Northern Territory during
2012; however there was an increase in the number of suitable applicants per vacancy. For professions,
the proportion of vacancies filled and the number of suitable applicants per vacancy increased
significantly from 2011 to be at the highest levels recorded since 2008. The labour market for technicians
and trades occupations however, tightened, with decreases in both the proportion of vacancies filled and
the number of suitable applicants per vacancy compared to 2011. The proportion of vacancies filled and
the number of suitable applicants per vacancy remain below the high figures recorded in 2009. There is
scope in the Northern Territory to address the skills shortage with young people who are not fully
engaged in education or work. The Foundation for Young Australians reported that in 2012, 16.7 per cent
of the Northern Territory population aged 15-19 years were not fully engaged in education or work.
There is also an opportunity to address the skills shortage with Indigenous job seekers who tend to have
higher levels of disadvantage and additional barriers to employment. These job seekers have additional
resources available and opportunities for training under Job Services Australia.
The Australian Government is implementing two new initiatives which will impact the Northern
Territory. The Stronger Futures in the Northern Territory package includes Australian Government
funding for jobs in communities, including 50 new Working on Country ranger positions and
100 traineeships for local jobs.
The second initiative is the new Remote Jobs and Communities Program. Commencing on 1 July 2013,
the program will provide a more integrated and flexible approach, providing better participation and
employment services for people living in remote areas of Australia. The new service will become the ‘one
stop shop’ for people in remote Australia currently being assisted by Job Services Australia, Disability
Employment Services, Indigenous Employment Program and the Community Development Employment
Projects program. The program will streamline these programs and services under the one umbrella.
The 23 Regions within the Northern Territory that will have the new service are: (largest communities
listed)

Santa Teresa &
Titjikala

Mutitjulu &
Kaltukatjara

Hermannsburg &
Areyonga

Ewyenper-Atwantye
& Amoonguna

Ampilwatja, Atitjere
& Alparra

Yuendumu

Ali Curung

Papunya & Kintore

Tennant Creek

Borroloola &
Robinson River

Ngukurr, Numbulwar
& Minyerri

Humpty Doo
Township

Wurrumiyanga

Gunbalanya

Maningrida

MilingimbiRamingining

Katherine

Lajamanu -Kalkaringi

Galiwinku

Beswick & Barunga

Gapuwiyak-Yirrkala

Wadeye &
Nganmirriyanga

Angurugu &
Umbakumb
Other characteristics
The Economy
The characteristics of the Northern Territory’s economy can be summarised as follows:

In the 10 years from 2001-01 to 2010-11, there was a 3.6 per cent annual average growth in
gross state product (GSP).

In 2010-11, the value of the Territory’s GSP (inflation adjusted) increased by 1.6 per cent, to
$16.3 billion.

The Northern Territory GSP accounts for 1.2 per cent of Australia’s gross domestic product.
Growth in the Northern Territory economy is driven by a higher trade surplus and a recovery in
household consumption. The Territory’s future economic outlook is expected to strengthen with a
number of major projects in the pipeline.
The mining industry remains the largest industry sector of the Territory economy. In 2010-11, major
contributions to the Northern Territory’s GSP include:

mining ($2.8 billion, 17.4% of GSP)

construction ($1.7 billion, 10.7% of GSP)

public administration and safety ($1.5 billion, 9.3% of GSP)

manufacturing ($1.4 billion, 8.4% of GSP)

retail and wholesale trade ($760 million, 4.7% of GSP).
These five sectors together make up 50.5 per cent of the total of industry sector contributions to the
Territory’s GSP, with combined value of their contribution to the Northern Territory’s economy being
over $8.2 billion
National Broadband Network
The Australian Government’s aim is that, by 2020, Australia will be among the world’s leading digital
economies based on key indicators such as broadband penetration and usage rankings.
The National Broadband Network (NBN) will provide opportunities, some not yet realised, for economic
and employment growth. They will include opportunities for important educational and training
initiatives. Work has already commenced in several suburbs in Darwin, with additional work to also occur
in Tennant Creek, Katherine, Nhulunbuy and Alice Springs within the next three years.
Following public consultations, five regional backbone infrastructure transmission black spots were
identified. Darwin was one of the areas identified.
Backbones have now been built and will provide economic stimulus; cheaper local broadband services;
and key infrastructure for the roll out of the NBN. A number of Australian Government grants and
incentives are available to facilitate access and information about the NBN. www.nbn.gov.au
Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Northern Territory 16
www.deewr.gov.au/resj
People in homes, small businesses and Indigenous communities in some of the most remote areas of
Australia, will be among the first users of a new broadband satellite service provided by the NBN. This
service commenced for eligible individuals and small businesses on the mainland and across Tasmania in
July 2011, with the first priority being given to those who currently have no alternate access to
broadband services. Eligible households, small businesses and communities will then need to order their
service via a participating retail service provider.
The Northern Territory Government is currently discussing options to connect remote schools to the
broadband satellite network. It is anticipated that the Health and Emergency Services industries
(especially in remote) may also access this satellite service.
Tourism
Tourism is a major industry and employment sector for the Northern Territory. According to Tourism NT,
1.2 million people visited the Northern Territory in 2011 and spent $1.4 billion. Tourism provided
19,800 jobs for Territorians, or 17.2 per cent of total employment in the Northern Territory, a much
higher proportion than the national average (8.2%).
The tourism industry in the Northern Territory has long faced labour skill shortages, which is currently
exacerbated by competing demand for skilled labour in other sectors. The Red Centre faces additional
challenges in attracting and retaining a skilled workforce due to the low population base, the seasonal
nature of the work, and the transient population. The Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism are
investing resources to explore the key, region specific, issues and to develop and implement strategies to
address these issues as part of the Tourism Employment Plans initiative. The Red Centre Tourism
Employment Plan will, amongst other things, provide an industry framework to guide delivery of
practical sustainable solutions that leverage existing government and industry programs to address
immediate to mid-term labour and skills shortages with an indicative date for its release in March – April
2013.
Remote Service Delivery
The National Partnership Agreement on Remote Service Delivery was signed by the Commonwealth,
New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory in January
2009.
Under this agreement the Australian Government and the relevant States and Northern Territory are
investing $291.2 million over six years from 1 July 2009 to work with Indigenous communities to improve
the delivery of services to 29 priority remote communities across the Northern Territory, Western
Australia, Queensland, New South Wales and South Australia.
The aim is to improve access to government services and facilities, raise the quality of these services, and
better support Indigenous community governance and leadership.
There are 15 Remote Service Delivery communities in the Northern Territory. They are Angurugu,
Galiwinku, Gapuwiyak, Gunbalanya, Lajamanu, Maningrida, Milingimbi, Ngukurr, Ntaria, Numbulwar,
Umbakumba, Wadeye, Wurrumiyanga (Nguiu), Yirrkala and Yuendemu.
ISSUES, GOALS AND STRATEGIES
This section sets out the issues and goals identified through local consultation. It also details the specific
strategies that will help achieve the community’s objectives. The issues and strategies will be reviewed
and may be modified throughout the implementation of the plan to June 2014 to ensure they respond to
emerging issues and opportunities or changing community or government priorities in the Northern
Territory RDA region.
The programs and stakeholders listed in the following tables are indicative only. Both may vary over time
and any listing does not guarantee either the availability of program funding or stakeholder involvement.
The four key themes of the Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plans initiative are:

Early childhood education and care

School education

Tertiary education and training

Jobs, skills and workforce development
The numbering of each issue is for ease of reference only and does not indicate its priority within the
region. They are generally sequenced according to the life cycle of the four key themes listed above.
Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Northern Territory 18
www.deewr.gov.au/resj
Issue 1
A high percentage of children are assessed as developmentally
vulnerable under the Australian Early Development Index
(AEDI).

AEDI assessment results are closer to the national average.
Improved access to suitable early childhood education and care services.
Goals
Theme(s):
Early childhood education and care.
Strategies
Stakeholders
Programs







Work with Budget Based Funding service providers
to enable them to meet the National Quality
Standard for Early Childhood Education and Care
and School Age Care.
Work with services and key stakeholders to
promote programs that engage and support access
to early childhood services.
Develop supportive strategies to engage children in
early childhood services, including:
o collaborating with Government Engagement
Coordinators (GECs) and service providers in
town camps
o Identifying funding opportunities to support
agreed community initiatives.
Work with the NT Department of Education and
Children’s Services (DECS) and through Child and
Family Centres to implement universal access to
preschool under the National Partnership
Agreement (NPA) on Early Childhood Education and
and the NPA on Indigenous Early Childhood
Development.
Support the Alice Springs Town Council in
developing strategies to meet the
recommendations ofthe report resulting from the
environmental scan of early childhood education
and care facilities, services and places available
undertaken in 2012.








Central Australian
Aboriginal Congress
Child and Family
Centres
DECS (NT)
Department of
Families, Housing,
Community Services
and Indigenous Affairs
GECs
NT Department of
Corrections
NT Police
Registered training
organisations
Town councils





Communities for
Children
Community Support
Program
Home Interaction
Program for Parents
and Youngsters
Inclusion and
Professional Support
Program
Parental and
Community
Engagement Program
Strong Start, Bright
Future
Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Northern Territory 19
www.deewr.gov.au/resj
Issue 2
Shortage of qualified early childhood educators in the Northern
Territory to meet the requirements under the new National
Quality Framework.
Goals:
A skilled, inclusive and sustainable workforce that meets industry and the
requirements under the new National Quality Framework.
Quality and flexible training and recognition of prior learning are available for
early childhood educators particularly in remote regions.
Theme(s):
Early childhood education and care; Tertiary education and training; Jobs, skills
and workforce development.
Strategies
Stakeholders
Programs








Assist with the implementation of training plans for
centre-based Budget Based Funded services.
Promote key initiatives such as the scholarship
program to providers and stakeholders in the
region, including through:
o Department of Human Services employment
services meetings
o industry engagement strategies
o Job Service Australia (JSA) providers
o Disability Employment Services (DES) providers
Promote the availability of Recognition of Prior
Learning Assessment Grants for existing early
childhood workers to up skill to meet the National
Quality Framework.
Work with Early Childhood Australia NT and key
migrant organisations to support initiatives to close
skilling and language gaps for culturally and
linguistically diverse employees through mentoring
and translation of documents.
Work with the NT Department of Education and
Children’s Services (DECS) educational
organisations and registered training organisations
to improve training for early childhood education
and care, outside school hours care and vacation
care providers.
Continue to work with the early child care Industry
by conducting early childhood education and care
industry round table events in 2013, building on
relationships between local early childhood
providers and other related stakeholders, such as
JSA and DES providers and training organisations,
with a view to attracting and retaining more
educators into the sector and up skilling existing
workers.














Batchelor Institute of
Indigenous Tertiary
Education
Centrelink
Charles Darwin
University
DECS (NT)
DES providers
Early Childhood
Australia NT
Early childhood
education and care
providers
Early childhood
services
Indigenous
Employment Program
(IEP) panel members
JSA providers
Migrant settlement
and support
organisations
Outside School Hours
Care providers
Registered training
organisations
Remote, Jobs and
Communities Program
(RJCP) providers
Vacation Care
providers












Community Support
Program
DES
DET scholarships
IEP
Inclusion and
Professional Support
Program
Indigenous Cadetships
JSA
Recognition of Prior
Learning Assessment
Grants
Regional
Development
Australia Fund
RJCP
Skills for Education
and Employment
formerly known as
Language, Literacy
and Numeracy
Program
Supplementary
Recurrent Assistance
Workplace English,
Language and Literacy
program
Issue 3
Low school attendance rates and low completion rates leading
to varying educational outcomes, in particular with Indigenous
students in remote regions.
Goals:
Improve attendance rates across schools.
Improve results of students to reflect levels in ‘similar’ schools as measured by
NAPLAN assessments.
Improve students’ completion of education at all levels.
Improve Vocational Education and Training (VET) participation and completion
rates.
Theme(s):
School education; Tertiary education and training; Jobs, skills and workforce
development.
Strategies
Stakeholders
Programs









Work with and support the NT Department of
Education and Children’s Services (DECS) and
education stakeholders to design and implement
strategies to engage children and youth with
education and training.
Support DET with the implementation of their Early
Child, Every Day strategy.
Promote and deliver the School Nutrition Program
to support the engagement of children in school.
Promote and support Parental and Community
Engagement (PaCE) programs, where appropriate,
within communities.
Support the delivery of the School Enrolment and
Attendance Measure under the Stronger Futures in
the Northern Territory initiative.






DECS (NT)
Government schools
Independent and
Catholic schools
Job Services Australi
(JSA) providers
Remote, Jobs and
Communities Program
(RJCP) providers
School Business
Community
Partnership Brokers
School Nutrition
Program providers
Youth Connections
providers
Youth Hub and youth
agencies










Home Interaction
Program for Parents
and Youngsters
Indigenous Youth
Career Pathways
Program
Indigenous Youth
Mobility Program
JSA (early school
leavers)
PaCE
Reduce Substance
Abuse program
RJCP
School Business
Community
Partnership Brokers
School Enrolment and
Attendance Measure
School Nutrition
Program
Youth Connections
Issue 4
Text Youth disengaged from school, training or work.
Goals:
Engage young people into meaningful activities and pathways to training and
work.
Encourage young men and women to be role models for younger children.
Theme(s):
School education; Tertiary education and training; Jobs, skills and workforce
development.
Strategies
Stakeholders
Programs












Work with youth providers and other agencies to
develop activities to engage young people in
education and training.
Work with Government Engagement Coordinators
(GECs) from town camps to identify cohorts and
develop place-based strategies including the use of
sports and cultural programs to promote healthy
lifestyles and participative behaviours.
Support NT Department of Corrections to develop
and introduce measures to minimise youth
recidivous behaviour and engagement in education,
training or employment.
Work with community elders, police, courts and
families to provide alternative options to juvenile
justice.
Encourage the development of leadership skills
programs for young men and women as role
models for younger students, including mentoring,
skills recognition and engagement.
Work with employers to encourage and support
work experience opportunity programs such as
‘Girls at the Centre’.
Support initiatives that link educational outcomes
with employment opportunities, for example career
and trade shows.
Support NT Department of Business to develop and
deliver Jobs and Training Expos.
















Cattlemen’s
Association
Department of
Business (NT)
Department of
Corrections (NT)
Department of
Education and
Children’s Services
(NT)
Department of
Families, Housing,
Community Services
& Indigenous Affairs
Disability Employment
Services (DES)
providers
Employers
GECs
Indigenous Youth
Career Pathways
(IYCP) Program
providers
Job Services Australia
(JSA) providers
NT Chamber of
Commerce and
Industry
Reduce Substance
Abuse (RSA) Program
providers
Registered training
organisations
Remote, Jobs and
Communities Program
(RJCP) providers
School Business
Community
Partnership Brokers
VET in Schools NT
providers
Youth Connections
Providers










DES
Girls at the Centre
Indigenous Youth
Mobility Program
IYCP
JSA
Learn or Earn for
15 – 17 years
Remote communities
Correctional Work
Camps
RJCP
RSA
School Business
Community
Partnership Brokers
VETiS – NT
Youth ‘Boot’ camps
Youth Connections
Issue 5
Meeting current skill shortages for emerging and growth
industries.
Goals:
Develop a skilled workforce to meet industry demand.
Have a strong and sustainable workforce in all industry sectors.
Increase the number of apprenticeships and traineeships.
Increase the number of migrants working in trade positions.
Theme(s):
School education; Tertiary education and training; Jobs, skills and workforce
development.
Strategies
Stakeholders
Programs












Collaborate with stakeholders to identify current
and future workforce needs and opportunities.
Work with educationalists to align future workforce
needs to develop new or upgrade existing Trade
Training Centres.
Partner with stakeholders to increase levels of
participation in and completion of VET in Schools
(VETiS) and school based apprenticeships targeting
skills shortages areas. This includes literacy and
numeracy, foundational skills and employability
skills.
Identify and promote workforce and training
opportunities through events and forums.
Contribute to workforce plans as appropriate
(noting remote regions are covered through
National Partnership Agreement on Remote Service
Delivery and Remote Training Employment and
Economic Development (RTEED)) including:
o Alice Springs Transformation Plan
o Darwin – Gearing up for Growth
o Katherine, Nhulunbuy and Tennant Creek
Regional Development Plans.
Work with industry sectors that have large skills
shortages such as community services and pastoral
industries to:
o recruit, train and employ staff
o consider opportunities around contract and
seasonal work in their workforce planning.
Promote the benefits of up-skilling to employers to
provide training opportunities for their employees.
Engage the mature age workforce by providing new
opportunities for them as mentors to others.
Collaborate with migrant working groups and key
stakeholders to identify issues and possible
strategies to meet employer and participant needs
and to support community integration.

















Aged care providers
Business Advisory
Committee NT
Cattlemen’s
Association
Charles Darwin
University
Department of
Business (NT)
Department of
Education and
Children’ s Services
(NT)
Department of
Human Services
Department of
Industry, Innovation,
Climate Change,
Science, Research &
Tertiary Education
Engineers Australia
Industrial and trades,
businesses and
contractors
Industry Skills Council
Melaleuca Refugee
Centre
Minerals Council of
Australia NT
Multicultural Council
of the NT
NT Chamber of
Commerce and
Industry
Schools and Education
Institutions
Syntheo Pty Ltd
Tourism NT
Training advisory
councils




Australian
Government Skills
Connect
JSA
Language, Literacy
and Numeracy
Program
Workplace English
Language and Literacy
Program
Trade Training
Centres in School
Issue 6
Indigenous job seekers in the Northern Territory have
significantly high levels of disadvantage and barriers to work.
Goals:
Increase the employment rate for people with significant barriers.
Increase job retention rates by improving people’s transition to work, on the job
support and mentoring.
To prepare local job seekers to take up new employment opportunities.
Theme(s):
Tertiary education and training; Jobs, skills and workforce development.
Strategies
Stakeholders
Programs










Identify jobs and skills for major projects in their
early stages of planning to allow a longer and
planned transition for job seekers. Work with
stakeholders to develop strategies for their
projects, including:
o NBNCo
o INPEX
Work collaboratively with employers and
employment service providers to manage the gap
between employer expectations and job seeker
experience and capability.
Encourage employment service providers to
maximise their resources to provide suitable
training for job seekers to achieve long-term
employment outcomes.
Work with small to medium enterprises to develop
strategies to attract and retain an Indigenous
workforce.
Support industry to develop strategies to
strengthen workplace cultural awareness.
Work with employers and government
organisations to offer work placements,
apprenticeships, traineeships and/or cadetships in
the early stages of workforce planning.
Work with the Department of Education and
Children’s Services (NT), VET providers and
employers to provide VET in Schools (VETiS)
training.
Promote VETiS career pathways with employers.








Department of
Business (NT)
DES providers
Employers
JSA providers
Peak industry bodies
Registered training
organisations
Remote, Jobs and
Communities Program
(RJCP) providers
Training advisory
councils
VETiS - NT providers






Australian
Government Skills
Connect
DES
Indigenous
Employment Program
JSA
National Workforce
Development Fund
RJCP
VETiS - NT
Issue 7
Limited employment opportunities for the working age
population in remote communities.
Goals:
Increase the number of local people employed in local jobs.
Encourage private investment to support more sustainable communities.
Theme(s):
Tertiary education and training; Jobs, skills and workforce development.
Strategies
Stakeholders
Programs







Support all initiatives under the National
Partnership Agreement on Remote Service Delivery
through the interagency group for Remote Training
Employment and Economic Development (RTEED).
Work with relevant stakeholders to:
o develop economic development, job profiles
and workforce plans in each Territory Major
Remote Town.
o support workforce planning by linking training
to employment and business needs.
o deliver on the Local Implementation Plan
actions.
Work with RTEED to encourage existing and new
businesses to meet the service needs of
communities and help the economy to grow.
Work with training providers to maximise teaching
and learning facilities and technologies.
Work with local government and key stakeholders
to develop opportunities arising from the
implementation of the Remote Jobs and
Communities Program (RJCP).















Corporate and Private
Enterprise
Department of
Business (NT)
Department of
Education and
Children’s Services
(NT)
Department of
Families, Housing,
Community Services
and Indigenous Affairs
Department of
Human Services
Department of Mines
and Energy (NT)
Department of
Primary Industry and
Fisheries (NT)
Department of
Regional
Development and
Indigenous
Advancement (NT)
Government
Engagement
Coordinators and
Indigenous
Engagement Officers
Job Services Australia
(JSA) providers
Local reference
groups
NT Chamber of
Commerce and
Industry
Office of the Registrar
of Indigenous
Corporations
Registered training
organisations
RJCP providers
VET in Schools
providers






Indigenous
Employment Program
JSA
National Workforce
Development Fund
New Enterprise
Incentive Scheme
RJCP
Strategic Indigenous
Housing and
Infrastructure
Program
VETiS – NT
Issue 8
Meeting the significant and rapidly growing workforce demands
of the resources sector.
Goals:
Working with employers and major projects to encourage a ‘locals first’ approach
to recruitment, training and pathways to employment for unskilled and
semiskilled job seekers.
Consider and implement strategies to connect people in regions of high
unemployment with work.
Theme(s):
Tertiary education and training; Jobs, skills and workforce development.
Strategies
Stakeholders
Programs






Work with key government and Indigenous
organisations to link Indigenous workers from
remote communities to employment opportunities
in the resources sector.
Investigate the use of Indigenous Employment
Program (IEP) funding and the National Workforce
Development Fund to provide support and
mentoring services to link to the National Resources
Sector Workforce Strategy.
Collaborate with Correctional Services to identify
and align training and opportunities for work
experience and link to employment opportunities.



Business Advisory
Committee NT
Indigenous
Communities in the
NT
Minerals Council of
Australia NT
Women in Resources
IEP
National Workforce
Development Fund
Issue 9
Maintaining community and corporate confidence in business
areas outside major development areas (such as Darwin) to
support more evenly spread economic growth and community
stability across the Northern Territory.
Goal:
Encourage businesses to invest in staff development.
Support Northern Territory businesses to develop and grow.
Theme(s):
Tertiary education and training; Jobs, skills and workforce development.
Strategies
Stakeholders
Programs





Continue to work with relevant stakeholders to:
o develop workshops and seminars
o boosting confidence leading to better business,
better use of technology, meeting new skills,
needs and enhanced employment
opportunities.
Provide labour market information to employers
detailing the benefits of workforce planning and
promote programs and services, including
Australian Government Skills Connect which will
assist them to invest in staff development.
Encourage and support Indigenous business
aspirations and development:
o Facilitate Indigenous businesses in the
Northern Territory to link to Supply Nation to
promote their business profile within the
national Indigenous Business networks.
o Encourage and support Indigenous businesses
to link and register with the Industries
Capability Network to promote their business
and increase their opportunities to tender for
major projects in the Northern Territory.






Alice Springs Town
Council
Business Advisory
Committee NT
Department of
Business and
Employment (NT)
Local Government
Shires
Northern Territory
Chamber of
Commerce and
Industry
Regional Tourism
organisations –
Katherine, Tennant
Creek, Alice Springs
Tourism NT




Australian
Government Skills
Connect
Harvest Labour
Services
Indigenous
Employment Program
New Enterprise
Incentive Scheme
Northern Territory
Government funding
APPENDICES
Appendix A — Stakeholders
Below is a list of organisations consulted during the development of this RESJ Plan, listed by sector.
Sector
Stakeholder
Australian Government
Department of Human Services (Centrelink); Department of Families, Housing,
Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (Indigenous Coordination Centres
and Government Business Managers); Department of Health and Ageing;
Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and
Communities (North Marine Region); Department of Defence; Department of
Regional Australia, Local Government, Arts and Sport.
Local government
Darwin City Council; Katherine Town Council; Barkly Shire Council; MacDonnell
Shire Council; Central Desert Shire Council; Alice Springs Town Council;
Litchfield Shire Council.
Northern Territory
Government
Department of the Chief Minister; Department of Business; Department of
Education and Children’s Services; Department of Attorney General and Justice;
Department of Correctional Services; Department of Regional Development
and Indigenous Advancement.
Vocational Education and
Training
Charles Darwin University; Desert Knowledge Australia; Batchelor Institute of
Tertiary Education; Central Australian Education Training Network Access
providers; Language, Literacy and Numeracy Program providers; Workplace
English Language and Literacy providers.
Higher Education
Charles Darwin University (Alice Springs Campus); Batchelor Institute of Tertiary
Education.
Youth
Alice Springs Youth Hub; Gap Youth Centre; Alice Springs Youth Centre;
Aboriginal Youth Mobility Program – Aboriginal Hostels; Alice Outcomes –
Centralian Senior College; Clontarf Academy; Girls at the Centre project
organisers ; STEPS Group Australia; Polly Farmer Foundation; Group Training
NT; Indigenous Education, Employment Taskforce; Tangentyere Council; NT
Youth Affairs Network; Barkly Youth Service Providers Network; Hamilton
Downs Youth Camp.
Employment
Job Services Australia providers; Disability Employment Service providers;
Indigenous Employment Program panel providers; Group Training NT
(apprenticeships; registered training organisation); NT Cattlemen’s Association;
NT Horticultural association; Tourism Top End; Tourism Central Australia;
Chamber of Commerce; Desert Peoples Centre; Desert Knowledge Australia;
Centrecorp; Yeperenyee Developments.
Indigenous organisations
Central Land Council; Ingkerreke Resource Centre; Tangentyere Council;
Ngurratjuta Pmara Ntjarra Aboriginal Association; Amangal Aboriginal
Corporation; Lhere Aretepe Aboriginal Corporation; Ingkerreke Resource
Centre, Ngurratjuta Corp.
Regional development
Regional Development Australia Northern Territory.
Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Northern Territory 28
www.deewr.gov.au/resj
Appendix B — Existing related plans and strategies
This section includes some of the related strategic plans in the region which have:

influenced the direction of this RESJ Plan

have complementary goals and strategies and/or

have significance in the region in relation to education, skills and jobs.
It provides an overview of how each strategy or plan has had an impact on this RESJ Plan and how it may
be utilised to maximise outcomes.
Plan or strategy
Impact on RESJ Plan
Regional Development Australia
(RDA) Northern Territory Regional
Plan (October 2011)
The information provided in the
RDA Regional Plan and ongoing
discussions have been taken to
account in the development of this
RESJ Plan.
The ALGA report provides research
on regional Australia for 2011–12
for consideration.
Australian Local Government
Association (ALGA) State of the
Regions Report 2011–2012
Territory 2030 Strategic Plan
Territory 2030 outlines the prime
planning strategies of the Northern
Territory Government. The
contents of this strategic plan were
considered in the development of
this RESJ Plan.
Greater Darwin Plan 2012
The Greater Darwin Plan provides
a future management action plan
for the greater Darwin Region
which impacts on the NT. These
views were considered in the
development of this RESJ Plan.
How it can be
used/linked/expanded
Strategic initiatives of this RESJ
Plan are consistent with the goals
and strategies of the RDA Northern
Territory Regional Plan.
This information links to and
updates the statistical information
in the RDA Northern Territory
Regional Plan.
Territory 2030 sets priorities and
guides Northern Territory
Government efforts over the next
two decades.
The plan contains 128 targets
under six themes: education,
society, economic sustainability,
health and wellbeing, the
environment, and knowledge,
creativity and innovation which
could be linked to this RESJ Plan.
The Greater Darwin Plan draws on
the views and aspirations of the
local community developed
through a consultation process.
The goal of the plan is to manage
future growth to meet the needs
and aspirations of present and
future residents and provide an
action plan for Greater Darwin,
reflecting the Territory 2030
Strategic Plan and informed by a
range of more specific strategic
plans, including the Greater
Darwin Region Land Use Plan –
Towards 2030 Consultation Paper.
Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Northern Territory 29
www.deewr.gov.au/resj
Plan or strategy
Impact on RESJ Plan
Growing the Territory: 10 Year
Infrastructure Strategy (NT
Government)
This Infrastructure Strategy is
supplementary to the Territory
2030 Strategic Plan, with a
medium-term (10 year) focus on
infrastructure.
Growing the Territory: 10 Year
Road Strategy (NT Government)
The Road Strategy is
supplementary to the Territory
2030 Strategic Plan, with a
medium-term (10 year) focus on
road development.
Growing the Territory: 10 Year
Transport Strategy (NT
Government)
The Transport Strategy is
supplementary to the Territory
2030 Strategic Plan, with a
medium-term (10 year) focus on
transport development.
Growing the Territory:
Employment Strategy 2012–2015.
Discussion Starter NT Government
The Employment Strategy is
supplementary to the Territory
2030 Strategic Plan, with a
medium-term (10 year) focus on
employment.
Alice Springs Youth Action Plan
The Youth Action Plan provided
information about community
concerns and proposed solutions
which were considered in this RESJ
Plan.
The matrix should be read in
conjunction with the Youth Action
Plan.
Alice Springs Youth Matrix
Every Child, Every Day: The Action
Plan 2010–2012
Every Child, Every Day: The
Strategy 2010–2012
(NT Government)
Alice Springs Community Action
Plan
The Action Plan documents
planning to improve enrolment,
attendance and participation. It
was used as a foundation for
educational strategies in this RESJ
Plan.
The Community Action Plan
identifies actions to combat crime
and alcohol; engage with youth;
promote business and economic
development; and promote
education and early childhood
development.
How it can be
used/linked/expanded
The Infrastructure Strategy is
supplementary to considerations
of the 2030 Strategic Plan,
providing more detailed planning
guidelines for Northern Territory
development.
The Road Strategy is
supplementary to considerations
of the 2030 Strategic Plan,
providing more detailed planning
guidelines for Northern Territory
development.
The Transport Strategy is
supplementary to considerations
of the 2030 Strategic Plan,
providing more detailed planning
guidelines for Northern Territory
development.
The Employment Strategy is
supplementary to considerations
of the 2030 Strategic Plan,
providing more detailed planning
guidelines for Northern Territory
development.
The Youth Action Plan provided a
basis to work across the youth
sector with a variety of initiatives
which could be considered in this
RESJ Plan.
The matrix provides an
understanding of interested
organisations delivering youthrelated programs and services.
The Action Plan and Strategy
provide benchmarks for
educational initiatives.
The strategies and other initiatives
in the plan have been taken into
account in the development of this
RESJ Plan.
Plan or strategy
Impact on RESJ Plan
National Resource Sector
Workforce Strategy
The relevant recommendations
from the National Resource Sector
Employment Taskforce include:
o increase the number of trade
professionals.
o strengthen workforce
participation.
o forge stronger ties between
industry and education.
The report outlines projected
workforce requirements and the
actions required to ensure the
Northern Territory is able to meet
the workforce needs in the Oil and
Gas Industry.
This legislation and associated
documents will determine the
pathway and funding for
Indigenous communities in the
Northern Territory for the next 10
years.
The initiative provides a basis for
DEEWR to work with other federal
agencies, the Territory government
and other providers to enhance
programs and initiatives as
recommended in this RESJ Plan
Workforce Planning Needs of the
Northern Territory Oil and Gas
Industry (Post Construction) 2010
(Major Industries Training Advisory
Council report)
Stronger Futures in the Northern
Territory (Australian Government)
How it can be
used/linked/expanded
Connecting job seekers and out of
trade apprentices to opportunities
in the resource sector, including
connecting to employers, relevant
training and Fly-In Fly-Out
connections.
The report refers to workforce
development strategies in relation
to the industry.
The Stronger Futures in the
Northern Territory initiative is a
10-year commitment with
significant investment in families,
education, health, housing, jobs
and safety, building on extensive
consultations undertaken with
Aboriginal people in the Northern
Territory.
ABBREVIATIONS
Abbreviation
Full Term
ABS
Australian Bureau of Statistics
AEDI
Australian Early Development Index
ALGA
Australian Local Government Association
BBF
Budget Based Funding
BIITE
Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education
CDU
Charles Darwin University
DECS
Department of Education and Children’s Services (NT)
DEEWR
Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations
DES
Disability Employment Service
GEC
Government Engagement Coordinator
GSP
gross state product
HIPPY
Home Interaction Program for Parents and Youngsters
IEP
Indigenous Employment Program
IRC
Indigenous Ranger Cadetship
IYCP
Indigenous Youth Career Pathways Program
JSA
Job Services Australia
LGA
Local Government Area
NAPLAN
National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy
NBN
National Broadband Network
NPA
National Partnership Agreement
NQF
National Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education and Care
PaCE
Parental and Community Engagement Program
RDA
Regional Development Australia
RESJ
Regional Education, Skills and Jobs
RJCP
Remote, Jobs and Communities Program
RSA
Reduce Substance Abuse
RTEED
Remote Training, Employment and Economic Development
Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Northern Territory 32
www.deewr.gov.au/resj
Abbreviation
Full Term
VET
Vocational education and training
VETis
Vocational Education and Training in Schools