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Seed funding promotes new jobs in Alice Springs

Alice Springs Town Council has allocated $28,500 to support an initiative which will provide local young people with employment , skills and business expertise.

Through its Community Grants Scheme, Council aims to provide seed funding to assist new businesses and employment opportunities in the Town.

Director Economic and Community Development Suzanne Lollback said Council is aiming to assist people and organisations to identify economic opportunities by providing seed funding to establish new businesses.

The Central Australian Aboriginal Childcare Agency applied for funding through its Aranda House program to establish a commercial venture retailing arts and crafts.

To be known as Aranda Crafts, the enterprise will employ young people and assist them to gain business and employment skills in an industry where demand exceeds supply.

Suzanne Lollback said Alice Springs has a tourism focus but has been unable to supply the demand for general craft goods. She said instead of importing many retail items, this enterprise will provide goods using local labour.

Chief Executive Officer Nick Scarvelis said, although many of the people employed in the venture will be Aboriginal, the aim is not to produce traditional Indigenous crafts but a broader product range which may incorporate traditional designs. He said it is a commercial venture designed to take advantage of two features of the Town's current business scene.

Firstly, an unsatisfied demand from visitors and local people for locally made craft items and secondly a pool of available unemployed youth in town.

Aranda Crafts will be established as a stand alone commercial enterprise within a two to three year timeframe. Young people will be selected to take part in the program through Aranda House.

Aranda House Director Allen Furber said that a group of young people had recently spent time at a tannery factory in South Australia. This was a skills development program to learn about the use and processing of raw and finished leather.

Suzanne Lollback said that in the first year of Council's grants scheme several initiatives have received funding, including a hydroponic lettuce producer which is already exporting to Darwin and Asia.

For further information contact Suzanne Lollback, telephone (08) 8950 0500.

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