Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are advised that this film may contain images and voices of people who have died.
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Harry: Hi everyone. I’m standing in front of the Tiwi Island Shire Council building, you can see. They call that the Whitehouse. And I’m going to be taking you through the CDEP program.
Finding employment can be hard when you are living on a remote community in the Territory. CDEP helps us to develop skills and give us lots of knowledge.
Sean Phillips: The main role of CDEP is to skill up Indigenous peoples for full time or part time employment anywhere in Australia, or the world for that matter.
CDEP is Community Development Employment Program. A lot of people get an idea and diverse work experience areas to sit in and do work experience. They can do studying in any place. We can send them away to do the studying, the flexibility of how we can use the participants.
Wesley Black: G’day
Harry: How you going old man?
Wesley: I’m good, yourself?
Harry: What’s your main role here, what’d ya do?
Wesley: I’m just picking up customers from Bathurst [Island] to Melville [Island], everyday.
Harry: Everyday? So it’s 24/7 for you, ay?
Wesley: Yep
Sean Phillips: We got 80 to 90 positions in various areas such as the Shire Council which is the biggest employer, women’s centres, Community Development Programs and work experience areas.
Harry Munkara: Arnold Tipiloura is in his second year as an apprentice doing mechanics, fixing cars, outboard marines, lawn mowers, you name it.
Good, ay? It brings pride in the community for you.
Arnold Tipiloura: Yep, help the community, fix anything they want. Basically, the whole town, ‘cos the Shire Council run this place. I always wanted to be a mechanic, and I got the job and I’m just trying to keep it up.
Sean Phillips: The bad points about it is the availability of employment on remote communities and it’s limited to the 3.5 hours and it’s sort of restrictive in that sort of way in the money you can earn and the income, capacity building you can get.
Bruno Pilakui: I’m working at the office, generally cleaning around, I’m working at parks the cars.
Harry Munkara: How long you been with CDEP for?
Bruno: Ah, 20, 30 years back now.
Harry Munkara: You need more, more jobs on the island here at Wurrumiyanga and it brings a lot of aspects for the community itself, and brings pride back in the community.
