Human Resources at Tindal were referred to Kalano’s Community Development Program (CDP) for the hiring of twenty new recruits because of their professional reputation in working with Aboriginal job-seekers and commitment to their respective employers.

Kalano CDP manager, Karyn Kalamaras, believes that the increased referral rates are largely due to their expertise in Aboriginal pre-employment training as 90% of their clients are Aboriginal and Kalano’s CDP workforce is 70% Aboriginal. These unique figures have made them a leading CDP provider in the Northern Territory. This past year, the services team managed a caseload of 303 clients. Currently, their active caseload (commenced and pending) is 212. Team members attribute much of their success to their relationships with their clients; Kalano CDP clients are names, not numbers.

CDP Officers empathize and help clients overcome the barriers that face them in employment, such as white card training, accessing professional experience, obtaining licenses, education and assist them in other processes such as submitting for a criminal history check and completing pre-employment forms. CDP’s connection to Kalano Community Association also offers clients additional benefits such as assistance with housing or other social services (see NDIS and Venndale Rehabilitation).

Kalano’s CDP has been providing these services under the auspices of RISE in Katherine town and eagerly awaits formal announcements from the Commonwealth Government in respect to the future delivery and allocation of CDP providers as June 2018 approaches.

With great pride in its recent figures and accomplishments, Kalano is keen to become a CDP provider in its own right.