Education, training and employment inequality in the region

A Murdi Paaki Regional Assembly (MPRA) symposium held in Cobar last Thursday shone a light on the economic disparity of Aboriginal people in the Murdi Paaki Region with regards to education, training and employment.

MPRA is calling on the State and Federal governments to negotiate a structural response to the education, training, employment and economic disadvantage among Aboriginal people living in the Murdi Paaki Region.

The Murdi Paaki Region encompasses a large area of far Western NSW, from the Queensland border in the north to the Victoria border in the south and from Collarenebri in the east to the South Australian border in the west.

An Aboriginal Workforce Participation Strategy has been developed in response to the continuing disparity.

The strategy was developed by a working group under the directive of the Murdi Paaki Regional Assembly.

It looks at what education, training and employment opportunities are available for Aboriginal communities in the region, what barriers they face and what would be needed to improve the disparity.

Murdi Paaki Regional Assembly Chair, Grace Gordon, said the Assembly found the findings of the Strategy alarming in relation to economic disparity and the symposium was a way to draw attention to the findings, obtain feedback and get a commitment to improve the inequality.

“The Strategy presents a case to the Australian and NSW Governments and other stakeholders with a responsibility for service delivery to invest in a comprehensive and integrated NSW remote area labour market model,” Ms Gordon said…see this week’s edition for more on this story.