A series of forums will be held across the New England North West to improve Aboriginal employment and economic participation in the region.

The forums will contribute to these outcomes by strengthening cultural understanding and relationships between Aboriginal stakeholders, employers and employment related services. Aboriginal community members interested in employment are encouraged to share their ideas and experiences.

The forums have been facilitated by Regional Development Australia -Northern Inland (RDA-NI), which incorporates the former Northern Inland Regional Development Board.

Together with a number of participating organisations, members of the region’s Aboriginal communities are being encouraged to attend.

The series of forums were organised to make constructive steps towards addressing the need for greater economic development among local Aboriginal communities.

They form part of a strategy to bridge gaps and brainstorm complex issues, identified through the previous work of Northern Inland Regional Development Board.

“The aim is to strengthen the relationships between employment, education and training organisations and the Aboriginal Community in the Northern Inland Region, in the hope that it could lead to long-term sustainable employment for both the Aboriginal communities and regional employers whoare struggling to fill skilled vacancies in the region,” chair of RDA-NI committee, Kevin Abey, said.

The forums will take place next week: in Armidale on Monday, Tenterfield on Tuesday, Moree on Wednesday, Narrabri on Thursday and Gunnedah on Friday and will take place at the TAFE campus in each centre, commencing at 10.30am.

“We’d particularly like to see employers, aboriginal community members, service providers, council representatives, organisations who currently have aboriginals in employment, those who are considering employing Aboriginals and those who have not considered this option to fill skilled vacancies,” organiser Kim-Trieste Hastings said.