CDP Employment

On the Tiwi Islands, permanent jobs can be hard to find. Many working-age Tiwis have Centrelink agreements that include CDP participation agreements. CDP activities (otherwise known as working for the dole) help people maintain a work-like routine while they are looking for work. They also help the community.

We have different activities for men and women. Men’s activities include repair and maintenance, lawn care, landscaping, building new facilities, painting, laying concrete, arts and culture. This work can help towards gaining certificates (tickets) in the use and operation of various equipment and machinery.

Women’s activities include arts and culture, sewing, screen-printing and block printing, and hunting for bush tucker, pandanus and ochre. Women also take care of food preparation for schools, community events, and visitors or guests.

CDP participants have an agreement with the Commonwealth to work from 8:00am to 1:00pm five days a week, or whatever their job plan requires them to do. Some people might need to work full time and others are part-time.

TITEB supervisors talk to participants about their interests and coordinate a program of work that everyone’s happy with. We also talk to employers and organisations about what needs to be done around the community. Employers sometimes host a CDP activity.