North East Arnhem Land Aboriginal Corporation provides a range of training, development courses and programs in accredited and non-accredited subjects. 

Accredited training includes chemical applications, small motors and small machinery operations, chainsaw courses, first aid, horticultural, trainer assessor, driver licences and whitecard. 

Non-accredited training includes workplace health and safety awareness, site inductions, use of hand tools and small equipment, work placements, and social and emotional wellbeing programs. 

The training program has a dedicated team to provide essential support at work and back in the communities, along with partnering with other local businesses and local government agencies. 

NEAL employs 90 people, more than 60 percent of them Indigenous. 

“Our commitment to providing employment and training opportunities to Indigenous jobseekers is aligned with the visions and aspirations of our board of 26 Traditional Owners who represent the wider regions of North East Arnhem Land,” says chief executive Damien Djerrkura. 

NEAL gives excellent service to its customers in mine rehabilitation, Indigenous labour hire, grounds maintenance, arboreal services, land management, horticultural services, public and remote transport, Homelands employment services and support, smash repairs, vehicle hire and mechanical work. 

The organisation last year acquired a local car hire business, which included a mechanical workshop, and panel and paint workshop, which has been successfully incorporated into NEAL’s operations. This also provides an opportunity for local indigenous apprenticeships and traineeships in mechanical and smash repairs. 

“NEAL has a very long history of adapting to changes and ensuring our systems, policies and procedures are aligned to our operational and cultural structure that allows the corporation to continue to grow and diversify,” says Mr Djerrkura. 

NEAL is contracted by global resources company Rio Tinto to train and develop its Indigenous workforce. 

Work scopes include environmental rehabilitation, grounds maintenance, weed management, seed collection and tube stocking, tree/arborist work, flora and fauna management, erosion and drainage control and maintenance of signage. 

“As the capacity and capability of our Indigenous workforce increases, so will the work scopes.” 

NEAL has recently commenced a freight and logistics department, which will provide a freight delivery and storage service to the region and remote communities. 

This has been another initiative approved by the board of NEAL in diversifying the operations to ensure continued growth and sustainability. 

NEAL traces its origins to YBE, which was established in 1968 with the goal of ensuring that the development of resources in North East Arnhem Land benefits and enriches the lives of all Yolngu people in the region. 

Starting modestly as the Yirrkala Brickworks, it produced the bricks used to construct the Gove District Hospital. 

NEAL’s reputation has been developed and built through dedication and experience, providing innovative, cost effective and quality services in every way possible. 

“Our approach has been crucial to our success in the ever-growing and highly competitive business environments in which we conduct our daily operations,” Mr Djerrkura says. 

“As an employer we strive to attract, develop and retain the highest quality personnel and most productive workforce for our clients while ensuring we keep a tight focus on providing jobs to local Yolnu people of East Arnhem Land and, secondly, spending money back into our local micro economies.”