The Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Worker Education Program Aboriginal Corporation (QATSIHWEPAC) is a leading Indigenous registered training organisation located in Cairns, North Queensland.
The organisation strongly believes in the important role that community governance has in determining the future of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Significantly it is a role that government policy recognises as crucial to the development of Indigenous people in Australia
Today, QATSIHWEPAC is still a community controlled organisation with an elected Board of Directors, now registered under the CATSI Act 2006 – ICN 1581. QATSIHWEPAC’s core funding is through the Office of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health (OATSIH) in the Department of Health and Ageing. There is significant student support through the Department of Education Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) and we hold training delivery contracts with the state government through the Department of Education Training and Arts (DETA)
Although QATSIHWEPAC gained registered training organisation (RTO) status in 1999, we only commenced the delivery of formal training in 2003.QATSIHWEPAC has grown rapidly and now has between 150 and 200 fulltime students in training each year in courses from Certificate III to Diploma level in the health and community services sectors
QATSIHWEPAC has a wider role in the community. We have a community capacity building role to overcome health issues in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Our position is underpinned by the primary health care philosophy that focuses on providing a holistic support for communities across Queensland