Excerpt from https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/article/2019/12/19/aboriginal-job-seekers-northern-nsw-overcome-employment-hurdles
A $10 million dollar program is being rolled out across Northern New South Wales to remove employment barriers for Aboriginal people.
The trial program aims to give 2,000 job-seekers in places like Coffs Harbour and Kempsey better access to training services,
and also help in obtaining things like birth registration, a birth certificate, or a driver licence.
Dunghutti woman, Bronwyn Murray, has been one of the first people to go through the ‘Momentum’ program.
She was previously a carer for her mother and brother for many years.
Without a driver’s licence, Bronwyn struggled to find mainstream employment and says job services had placed her in the ‘too hard’ basket.
“Jobs I applied for needed people with a licence, she said.
“Not having a licence limited me to more or less staying at home.
“I couldn’t get out and look for jobs, I had to rely on people to take me shopping, go to the doctors, even for sorry business.
The state government-funded project is delivered by local organisations, including Aboriginal employment agency, ‘Real Futures’ in Kempsey.
It was there Bronwyn overcame her employment barriers by getting behind the wheel.
“They helped me with my driving lessons, and then they helped finance my licence, and now that I got a licence – I got a job,” she said.
“I’m doing things and I’m helping a lot of people and now I’m looking forward to making money to buy my own car.
