New remote employment service coming

A new remote employment service will begin in 2025 to replace the Community Development Program (CDP).

It will support people who are currently looking for work or may need help to become job ready, to get the skills and resources they need to take up job opportunities, including those created through the Remote Jobs and Economic Development (RJED) program.

It will provide more opportunities for job seekers and service providers who live and work across more than 1,200 communities in remote Australia.

Current CDP services will continue to support remote job seekers and we will work to ensure a smooth transition between programs.

The design and implementation of a new remote employment service is the second stage of the Australian Government’s reform to replace CDP.

The first stage is the RJED program, creating 3,000 new jobs over three years.

A competitive grant selection process will be undertaken in the first half of 2025 ahead of the new remote employment service beginning.

Grants will be open to interested organisations within remote employment service regions (previously known as CDP regions).

Read a factsheet about the new remote employment service

How the new service is different from the CDP

Providers will work with communities and individuals to understand the needs of the 42,000 job seekers on the caseload living and working in remote employment service (RES) regions (previously known as CDP regions). The service will be more flexible with: 

• Community projects as a key focus, funding providers to deliver innovative approaches to enterprise development, and supporting community projects that engage job seekers to build skills and become job ready. 
• Trials of improved assessment processes in a small number of regions to help providers identify barriers for participants but also work with them on their strengths. 
• Participants being more supported to feel culturally safe.
• New trials of local approaches to build language, literacy and numeracy skills for job seekers in a small number of regions. 
• The new remote employment service will complement existing policies led by other government departments, while also aligning with broader employment policy reforms.

What the new service means for job seekers

Job seekers will still be required to agree to a job plan, attend regular appointments, undertake job search (if appropriate) and accept paid work. 

Participation in activities to meet mutual obligations will remain voluntary in the first two years of the new service.

How the service was designed 

To help design the service, we used feedback from previous consultations, existing evidence and learning and successes of job trials. 

Some of the feedback we’ve heard is that:

• There is a need for more local job creation – moving people off income support and into real jobs (jobs stimulated through the RJED program or other). 
• It should be planned and led by communities.
• Communities want some form of compulsory activity attendance to be introduced under the new model.
• Compulsory activities should be culturally appropriate and help participants move closer to paid employment. 
• Activities should be flexible to allow for cultural obligations and personal circumstances. 
• Training should be tailored to the individual and relevant to participants needs.
• The new service should support opportunities for full-time, part-time, seasonal and casual work.
• The new service should encourage engagement with a strengths-based approach.
• It should be participant-centred with case management to reflect job readiness pathway.

Have your say

The NIAA welcomes further feedback at any time provided through peak bodies or First Nations Representative Organisations. Feedback or questions can also be provided directly to remote.jobs@niaa.gov.au. 

More information

Contact us: remote.jobs@niaa.gov.au

Subscribe for updates through our regular remote employment e-newsletter.

For enquires about the current CDP in your region, contact your local provider or your nearest NIAA Regional Office.