Community Development Employment Projects (CDEP)
The Community Development Employment Projects (CDEP) Program is an Australian Government funded initiative for Indigenous job seekers.
About CDEP
CDEP provides community managed activities that develop participants' skills and employability in order to assist their move into employment outside CDEP. These activities also make a valuable contribution to the community and can lead to the development of business enterprises. The overall aim is to support Indigenous Australians to achieve economic independence.
From 1 July 2009, the CDEP program will undergo some important changes. These changes will support the Government’s aim to halve the employment gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians within a decade.
About the changes
On 19 December 2008, the Australian Government announced reforms to the CDEP program as part of a new integrated approach to employment services for Indigenous Australians. The reforms will see CDEP and the Indigenous Employment Program (IEP) working in partnership with Employment Services to provide greater support to Indigenous Australians in finding sustainable employment.
- Strengthening Indigenous employment opportunities - Media Release
From 1 July 2009 CDEP will no longer operate in non-remote locations where the economy is well established. Instead, services for Indigenous job seekers will be provided by the new employment services and IEP. A new Community Support Program will be introduced to assist Indigenous Australians in those locations to access a range of services. This will be separate from the reformed CDEP.
Current participants in remote areas will be able to access CDEP wages until 30 June 2011 to support their transition to the new arrangements. Current participants will be required to move to income support after 1 July 2009 if they take a break from CDEP for more than 2 weeks, excluding approved leave. From 1 July 2009 all new CDEP participants in remote locations will not be eligible to receive CDEP wages, instead they may be eligible to receive an Income Support Payment.
CDEP Participation in the Torres Strait Islands will continue to be managed by the Torres Strait Regional Authority and is not affected by the CDEP Reforms.
CDEP reforms at a glance
Remote Australia
- The CDEP program will be restructured to:
- build individual skills and capacity to take up work where opportunities arise
- provide on-the-job work experience
- provide voluntary mobility assistance
- build capacity of communities including through supporting priority projects
- build capacity of local Indigenous organisations to deliver a range of services, including other employment services such as the Indigenous Employment Program (IEP), and
- make sure community members undertaking similar activities have the same income and participation requirements.
- CDEP positions that have supported the delivery of government services will be converted to properly paid jobs, with ongoing funding to be available for those jobs to ensure sustainability, including in the Northern Territory.
- A new remote workforce strategy will be introduced creating 400 traineeships in government service delivery and 60 additional positions in land and sea management.
- New participants in reformed CDEP will access the program while on relevant income support payments rather than be paid CDEP wages.
- Existing CDEP participants will be eligible to receive CDEP wages until 30 June 2011 to allow for an adjustment period, subject to allowable breaks of 2 weeks.
- Funding agreements for reformed CDEP will be offered for a 3 year period.
Non-remote Australia
- CDEP will no longer operate in non-remote locations where the economy is well established. Instead, services for Indigenous jobseekers will be provided by the new employment services and IEP.
- A new Community Support Program will be introduced to support Indigenous Australians in those locations to link to a range of services. This will be separate from the reformed CDEP.
- CDEP providers will be encouraged to consider applying to become providers of IEP and/or Community Support Program.
More Information
- Visit the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs website.
- Telephone Centrelink on 13 2850.
- Contact your nearest Centrelink Customer Service Centre.