GEBIE - Groote Eylandt & Bickerton Island Enterprises

THE GEBIE YIRRANDIYAMA WARKA JOB SHOP

The Yirrandiyama Warka Job Shop was born of a notion that there was a gross lack of coordination across Groote Eylandt in relation to the provision of employment and training services.

It was also envisaged that such a facility would provide regular Pre Employment Programs to include work readiness skills, substance awareness and reverse cross cultural education in a more concerted effort to realize an increase in not merely the number of Indigenous Groote Eylandters in local mainstream employment, but to enhance fragile sustainability.

Another facet of the Job Shop is to provide crucial, much needed mentoring, sadly missing in the past when real job opportunities on Groote continually failed to reach their potential.
 

The Job Shop opened for business in November of 2008 and won the tender to provide JSA services in July of 2009. Operating out of the Trust Building in Angurugu and despite a lack of any initial federal or state funding, the Job Shop has provided the services that formed its foundation.

The Job Shop has facilitated or assisted in the placement of over 130 Indigenous Groote Eylandters into fulltime or casual employment in the initial 18 months of operation.
The Yirrandiyama Warka (looking for work) Job Shop is part of GEBIE (Groote Eylandt Bickerton Island Enterprises), the business and employment arm of the local Anindilyakwa Land Council.