Cowboys give jobless lift

MORE than 50 students have graduated with a Certificate III in hospitality thanks to the North Queensland Cowboys Dream, Believe, Achieve program.

The program, delivered by Allara Learning, trains unemployed and disadvantaged North Queenslanders and provides mentoring and support to help them get a job.

A total of 51 students graduated from the program on Wednesday with some already finding work.

Cowboys operations and contracts manager Sam Johnstone said many success stories came out of the program.

“People who have had a bit of a rough start in life have come here and got a qualification and then moved on to a good job,” she said.

The program was established in 2015 and has helped hundreds of North Queenslanders gain an industry- recognised qualification and find long- term employment.

The next intake will be on July 10. Applicants must have been unemployed for longer than four weeks and be 16 or older.

The training is funded by the State Government’s Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative.

HELPING HANDS: Rhyce Tuckey, Kelly Clinch, Marian Malua from the Cowboys, Jarva Sammons and Arthur Burchett from Allara Learning at this week’s North Queensland Cowboys Dream, Believe, Achieve graduation. Picture: WESLEY MONTS