In this post-Determination era of the Native Title legislation, more and more Prescribed Bodies Corporate of Native Title groups are moving from protecting and developing Native Title assets into supporting community members in general economic development.
One path is to provide pathways to employment - whether through Government-funded programs or through direct employment, many groups provide training and support services for their members to be workplace ready, and to be sufficiently upskilled to obtain employment in the private sector.
Another path is to support individual members and families to start their own businesses. The entrepreneurial spirit is alive in all human beings but PBC members, particularly in remote and regional areas, are often behind on "entrepreneurial experience" lacking employment experience, sometimes lacking numeracy education, not being exposed to the commercial world and thinking, and lacking in the practical experience of what makes an entity - never mind a business - work.
I would argue that this second path is just as valid and valuable a road to economic independence as is employment. But what can a PBC do to support and protect individual members in their aspirations to start their own business?
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