Villa Maria has signed a nation-first agreement, aimed at securing the commitment of sustainable jobs for Indigenous Australians in a bid to break the vicous cycle of unemployment, hopelessness and poverty.

Villa Maria General Manager People Services Helen McPhee said that over the next ten years, Villa Maria has undertaken to employ 100 Indigenous people who have been trained in TAFEs or private institutions and are work ready as part of the Australian Employment Covenant (AEC).

"This is a very exciting initiative and we are looking forward to rolling out the strategyearly next year," Ms McPhee said.

Villa Maria is one of 291 employers who have partnered with AEC to roll out almost 56,000 job opportunities to Indigenous people across the country - the largest collaboration of employers in the nation's history.