Work and Livelihoods

CAT works with communities of Indigenous people to secure sustainable livelihoods through appropriate technology. CAT defines a sustainable livelihood as the range of activities that support improved well being through work, enterprise and trading and that can be maintained into the future.

The sustainable livelihoods approach takes the skills, status and possessions of people and analyses how they use those asets to improve the quality of their lives. It seeks to understand the interconnectedness of these assets and the way in which they are deployed to meet the varied aspirations and needs of people. A livelihood comprises the capabilities, assets and activities required for a means of living. A livelihood is sustainable when it can cope with and recover from stresses and shocks and maintain and enahnce its capabilities and assets both now and in the future, while not undermining the natural resource base.

Accessing work opportunities and building stronger livelihoods outcomes is a challenge for many Indigenous peoples living in remote areas of Australia. Being remote from services and markets, having limited opportunities for education or participation in mainstream economic activities, being burdened with ill heath, dependent on welfare transfers and subject to volatile policy and program investments, makes the challenge increasingly complex.

CAT recognises these challenges and seeks to support work and livelihoods in communities through practical and supportive measures that build on exisiting skills and assets and foster self reliance and greater connectedness with the world at large.  CAT's training and capacity building initiatives support emerging livelihoods opportunities in natural resource management and caring for country initiatives;housing repairs and maintenance; infrastructure and asset management; community planning and engagement; leadership and governance.