A new beginning

Last Monday I started a new job, at the intensive support branch. I am working in the team that is responsible for the Stuctured Training and Employment Programme (STEP). In short this is an area which received proposals for funding of employment related activities for Indigenous people. We have to review the proposals and decide whether to go on with it or not.

In this branch there is also a grad coordinator for all the grads on the floor, and one of the things we all have to do is visit a state office to see how the monitoring of the programmes work. Whereas we in the national office make decisions and policy, the state offices implement and stay in contact with the local programmes. It is very interesting to see how it works, as I have seen in Tasmania last January. Apparantly everybody already indicated last week where they wanted to go, I just said I liked the sun and therefore I will visit Tropical North Queensland, Townsville to be more precise.

I hope I will be able to visit some remote areas and get an impression how things work over there. Sitting behind the desk in the national office obviously does not provide this experience.

Tonight we will also watch the third leg of the State of Origin match (Rugby League), where New South Wales will play Queensland. Both sides won once so this will be the deciding game. Thank God it is at a normal time, not like the world cup soccer @ 5 am....