Job seekers

To be eligible to get a job under this program, you must live in a remote employment service (RES) region and:

• be an existing Community Development Program (CDP) participant or,
• be a job seeker eligible for the CDP or,
• be a participant in the New Jobs Program Trial or CDP Trials or,
• none of the above but aged 15-24 and live in a RES region.

For a full description of eligibility criteria, please refer to the Grant Opportunity Guidelines on GrantConnect.

You might know the new remote employment service regions better as CDP regions.

Look at this map to see if you live in a region where you could be eligible to get a job under the RJED program.

There are lots of different jobs that could be funded under the RJED program.

Jobs could be part-time, full-time or casual and be flexible around personal, family and community obligations.

Jobs could be to care for the environment, work in a shop, care for others, grow a small business or you may have other ideas.

Job seekers don’t need to do anything right now as only eligible employers can apply directly for Government funding.

However, this program has been designed to make sure employers are talking to their community about what jobs they need and want before they get Government funding.

This is your chance to think about what type of job you would like to do and what jobs your community needs and share your ideas with local employers. 

Employers will need to show the Government in their grant applications how they know these jobs are what their community wants and needs.

The RJED program has been designed to fund local employers to pay for wages and equipment so they can hire local people into new jobs they want and need.

Employers are being encouraged to talk to their community (especially job seekers) about what jobs they might want to do and what projects their community needs.

Employers will need to show the Government in their grant applications how the jobs they want funding for are what their community wants and needs.

An eligible employer can apply for Government funding to pay for:

• an employee’s wages, up to the relevant award or minimum wage rate (whichever is applicable), plus relevant conditions, like superannuation and leave.
• equipment, infrastructure, capacity building, oncosts and overheads (like uniforms, a shed, on-job-training, insurance and operating expenses).

This program only provides funding for new jobs.

For the purposes of the RJED program, a ‘new job’ is:

• a job which does not already exist within an organisation and does not displace an existing employee or 
• a job created under the Government’s New Jobs Program Trial or CDP Trial.

This program is about creating jobs for the whole community, starting from young people 15 years or older.

Over the past few years, the Government has talked to thousands of people in more than 200 remote communities about the best way to replace the CDP. This is so we can create a jobs program that communities want, supported by employment services that help young people and job seekers get ready for work.

People said a jobs program should:

• Be planned and led by communities
• Recognise roles carried out in communities
• Take a new approach for youth
• Support local jobs and people
• Be flexible
• Invest in local priorities
• Assist people who can’t work right now

They also said employment services should include:

• Skills and support to complete paperwork for employment
• Continuous on-the job training
• Ongoing tailored mentoring and coaching
• Long-term sustainability of jobs
• Employment that supports local cultural needs

Learn more about what we heard in 2024 consultations in the Replacing the Community Development Program – second phase of community consultations report, the consultation summary on a page or watch a short video.

Learn more about what we heard in 2023 consultations in the Replacing the Community Development Program consultation report, the consultation summary on a page or watch a short video.

If you are currently looking for work or need help to get job ready, remote employment services are still available. There will be a new remote employment service starting in 2025 that will replace the Community Development Program. This new service will support job seekers with training and ongoing support to help them get job ready. CDP services currently available will continue until 30 June 2025 before a new remote employment service begins.