Overview
The Kinaway Employment Program (KEP) is a community-informed initiative delivered by Kinaway Chamber of Commerce and its member partners.
The program supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across Victoria to upskill, access funded educational pathways, and move into sustainable employment.
KEP is open to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across Victoria, whether they are seeking employment, looking to build their skills and qualifications, or facing barriers that have previously prevented them from accessing education and training. The program is designed to reach participants in metropolitan Melbourne, regional, and remote communities, using flexible in-person, virtual, and locally partnered delivery to ensure no one is excluded by geography.
KEP is built around three interconnected areas of support: removing barriers to education, building skills and qualifications, and connecting participants to meaningful employment.
Removing barriers is central to how the program works. Many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples face practical, financial, and systemic obstacles to accessing training and employment. KEP directly addresses these through funded educational pathways — covering course fees, accredited qualifications, tickets, and micro-credentials — as well as individual participant support packages that include transport, uniforms, technology access, and childcare support where needed. No participant should miss out because of cost.
Upskilling and training is delivered in partnership with Registered Training Organisations, prioritising First Nations RTOs, across a broad range of industries. Training is tailored to each participant's goals and aspirations rather than a fixed curriculum, ensuring the skills gained are relevant, transferable, and aligned with real employer needs. Cultural awareness is embedded in all training delivery.
Throughout all of this, cultural safety is non-negotiable. Trauma-informed practice, community consultation, and collaboration with Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) shape every aspect of how the program is designed and delivered.
What It Aims to Achieve
Over the next two-year delivery period, KEP targets participants across Victoria. Success is measured through accredited qualification completions, removal of identified barriers to participation, sustainable employment placements, and long-term retention tracked at six and twelve months post-placement. Broader goals include strengthening economic participation across Victoria and contributing to the state's Aboriginal Economic Development Strategy and reconciliation commitments.
Kinaway works alongside Registered Training Organisations, employer partners, Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations, and regional stakeholders to ensure the program is accessible, culturally grounded, and effective wherever participants are, and whatever stage they are starting from.