The government has invested $A650 million in the Indigenous Employment Program over four years and the program has already topped its key financial year targets ahead of schedule this year.

The IEP, now in its third year, exceeded its key targets by 15% this financial year by delivering almost 33,000 work and training commencements for indigenous Australians.

For the 2011-12 financial year, the IEP recorded a total of 32,578 indigenous Australians in work and training commencement, ahead of the full year target of 28,350.

A full year target of 15,600 indigenous Australians commencing in jobs was also set which was slightly topped by 192 placements to 15,792.

The total number of commencements since the reformed IEP began in July 2009 was almost at 87,000.

Pathways to the Pilbara was another IEP-supported program which provided training and employment opportunities for 80 indigenous Australians in the resources sector this year.

Minister for Indigenous Employment and Economic Development Julie Collins said the program delivered strong results this financial year in most cases before the end of May and marked an encouraging sign of real progress.

"These are significant results, showing the government's partnerships with employers through the IEP are making a real difference to the lives of indigenous Australians," Collins said.

"The government is determined to build on the success of the IEP and that's why I've commissioned the independent review of indigenous employment service delivery models used by several employers and organisations."

The review will evaluate a range of models based on outcomes for indigenous Australians and value for money.

Collins said one of the keys to the success of the IEP was that training was linked to real jobs with employers around Australia.

"It's one of the most successful programs helping indigenous Australians get the training they need to get a job - and supporting them to keep it," she said.

As well as Macmahon and Pathways to the Pilbara, other companies in the IEP include Coles, Compass Group, Australia Post and Woolworths.