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  • The Angurugu Tigers are in training for the game of their life: this week's grand final.

  • Easy no pressure And for Basil, the captain, winning is all

  • about teamwork on and off the field. Talk to one another work as a team, do things

  • together, keep us motivated. If you don't have a team then you don't have any chance

  • of winning. If you have a team you'll get further in life.

  • Basil and his mates live in Angurugu on Groote Eylandt in the Gulf of Carpentaria in South

  • East Arnhem Land. Here mining royalties are creating new employment

  • opportunities for Basil and his mates. We've got a maintenance program here doing

  • a little bit of concreting so we've probably got some doors and arches something to do.

  • Work that's taken these guys from CDEP wages, to full time training, regular employment,

  • a weekly pay check and a sustainable future. I'm learning to drive this small dozer. It

  • takes a lot of concentration to learn to drive this truck. And working together here, learning

  • new skills is good. This is a lot different to CDEP. The boys

  • are really thriving at their work. It's outstanding how quickly the boys can pick it up. And once

  • they find something they like they really thrive on it, you know. It's changing things

  • slowly. A vision for full time employment for young

  • and old in the community, that began as a local initiative.

  • When young people start work they were in a lower wage, and so we were thinking about

  • that, and met with some staff and the council and we trained our people. Now we are training

  • young people. It's their choice and everything is now changing.

  • Changes instigated at a community level and supported by the local council.

  • We actually funded decision within the community. What happened [was] the council wanted to

  • have meaningful employment. We had royalties money, so to speak, so we just self funded.

  • With the council on side, the dream became a reality that was embraced by the local school,

  • leading to information events like this careers expo.

  • Basically the GEBIE (Groote Eylandt and Bickerton Island Enterprises (GEBIE) Job Shop is a network

  • provider for the island and we're here today to promote the education and employment opportunities

  • that we have to offer.

  • We do fish patrol and look after land. When I see all these people, I say This is

  • your appointment, it's for job and training, what do you reckon, will you think about it?

  • It's your choice. A community employment initiative using CDEP

  • and local funding to create a 21st century vision that trains and employs Indigenous

  • construction workers to build a sustainable future in Angurugu.

  • Well, we found paid employment for these guys. They're off benefit, proud of what they do

  • and they're respected in the community because they do come to work everyday. They've got

  • sustainable employment with the opportunity to pick up skills, with a view to performing

  • duties at community level when all the whitefellas are gone.

  • Basil is a very good inspiration for a lot of the people on Groote Eylandt, especially

  • within the Indigenous communities. He's a fantastic success story like many others,

  • but Basil really is a shining star. This local footy hero has become a role model

  • to these kids in more ways than one. This is a good job. Lots of kind people, working

  • together and earning good money - my own money. We fix everything in the bathroom, the walls,

  • the roof. How long before we can begin working?

  • By then, Basil might be running the whole place.

  • It's a key message of change for the future delivered by an inspired group of young men.

  • It's good to get out of CDEP and get into a decent job earning decent money.

  • And it's working, because the mentors are community elders who realise how important

  • this change is. Good work. It's really good for the young

  • ones to get on and build a better life. A life that also includes regular time out

  • - a reward after a hard day's work. It's important - if you don't have the communication,

  • the friendship, it's hard, it sort of feels lonely, really. Being part of a team just

  • makes it better. Cheers!

  • This team effort has earned Basil and the Tigers a place in the local grand final.

  • A long-term commitment that today will pay dividends in more ways than one.

  • Yeah

  • the teamwork is switching on. Yeah, I think we have got this game.

The Angurugu Tigers are in training for the game of their life: this week's grand final.

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