Designing a Remote Employment Program: Lessons From the Past and a Proposal for the Future

Australia's current labour market programs are focussed on labour supply - ensuring that employers have access to a pool of workers that are willing and able to take on any work offered (Productivity Commission 2002). To the extent that they seek to extend the range of job options available to the unemployed, these efforts are generally limited to wage subsidies and programs to encourage and promote 'corporate leaders' who commit to more inclusive recruitment (e.g. Jordan and Mavec 2010). But what if, as is the case across many parts of remote Australia, there are simply not enough jobs available, or not enough jobs within reach of local people? What sort of employment assistance should be provided?