The Wire

This month the federal government announced it would end the indigenous welfare program known as Community Development Employment Projects or CDEP in cities and rural centres. The government says the programs have not been effective in reducing unemployment in the aboriginal community but the aboriginal community say the ‘work for the dole’ program provides essential job training and is a valuable service in the community. Alex Koutts spoke to Anneleis Voorthuis from the Illawarra Aboriginal Corporation which runs the Woolongong ‘work for the dole’ program says mainstream employment programs are not a viable alternative to the community program.