Mark Arbib (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Social Housing and Homelessness) Share this | Hansard source

I was just saying I know that Senator Sterle has a deep interest in this area. While the government is working generally on employment and, as Senator Wong said earlier in an answer, 140,000 jobs have been created and people are able to put food on the table and shelter over their families, we are also ensuring that work is done with Indigenous employment. We are working to close the gap, creating and sustaining 100,000 jobs out to 2018. This is difficult work. While the majority of the work that will be done by the Job Services Australia providers will be done under the Indigenous Employment Program, we have identified that we need to work with young Indigenous Australians while they are still at school, making sure that young Indigenous students have a pathway into employment.

In 2010 we established the Learn Earn Legend! program. It is a program based on keeping young Indigenous students in school, giving them an opportunity to learn but, at the same time as that, ensuring they get that pathway to employment. We are working with national sporting organisations, with education providers and also with Indigenous communities themselves. We are making progress. The Gold Coast Titans have set up the first of the programs. In 2010, 131 students took part in the program. So far, 84 per cent have gone on to jobs, further training or higher education. Currently there are 188 students in that program. The Brisbane Broncos worked with 41 students in 2010 and 85 per cent—

Senator Brandis interjecting—